Epoxy Adhesive Formulations
Based on a popular course sponsored by the Society of Plastics Engineers, this comprehensive text presents a variety of methods to ensure optimum epoxy performance and reliability.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Epoxy Adhesive Formulations
Chapter 11: Room Temperature Curing Epoxy Adhesives
11.1 INTRODUCTION
One of the distinct advantages of epoxy adhesives is that they can be cured at room temperature or even at lower temperatures. Epoxy adhesives are often divided into room temperature curing types and elevated-temperature curing types. This chapter discusses room temperature epoxy formulations. The major advantages and disadvantages of room temperature curing epoxy adhesives are shown in Table 11.1.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Very long shelf life of stored components at room temperature | Short working life of mixed adhesive that can result in waste, difficult application |
| No thermal energy required to heat either the adhesive or the parts being bonded | Components that must be metered accurately and mixed thoroughly |
| Can be accelerated by exposure to elevated temperatures | Tensile strength, heat and chemical resistance not as high as when cured at elevated temperatures |
| Can be cured at room temperature to a handling strength and then exposed to elevated temperatures for final cure | Long cure times that may limit production and require fixturing |
| Less shrinkage and internal stress resulting from thermal expansion differences | |
| Moderate strength as well as heat and chemical resistance | |
| Good toughness and moderate peel and impact strength | |
| Lower cost due to less energy and no heating equipment | |
| Less hazardous (less vapors, no high-temperature equipment) |
Room temperature curing epoxy adhesives are two-component adhesives, indicating that the curing agent portion and the epoxy resin portion are packaged separately. These are often referred to as...
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