Adhesive bonding study of amorphous LARC™-TPI

Abstract

A novel form of LARC™-TPI has been developed which does not exhibit a crystalline melt as was encountered in earlier fonns of this material. Being amorphous allows the powder to be consolidated at temperatures near its glass transition temperature of 260°C (500°F). Adhesively bonded titanium lap shear specimens were fabricated at temperatures as low as 260°C (500°F). At lower temperatures, the pressures needed to create a well-consolidated bond were high, but as the bonding temperature was increased, the pressure could be decreased. High quality, high strength bonds were prepared at a temperature as low as 280°C (536 °F) with a pressure of only 0.69 MPa (100 psi). At a 350°C (662°F) bonding temperature, only 0.10 MPa (15 psi) was needed to develop very high lap shear strengths.

Keywords:

• LARC™-TPI
• polyimide
• adhesive
• thermoplastic