Tailored Adhesives for High-Strain-Rate Applications

The objective will be to develop and evaluate an adhesive to improve the integrity and reliability of structural bonded joints to reduce the number of bolts needed for a mechanically joined component. This will increase overall performance, including blast and ballistic impact survivability and allow reduction of fasteners with subsequent savings in cost and weight. UDC will produce room temperature curable carbon nanotube reinforced adhesives and demonstrate high strain rate, improved shear and bending bond strength relative to the currently used epoxy adhesive. The developed adhesives will be tested in high and low temperature and humidity environmental environment. Adhesives will be characterized for tensile and shear behavior over very high strain rates. Testing will also include shear strength, hardness, elongation, and tensile/peel strength and crack propagation. A report with results and conclusions will be submitted