Oriented Nanofiber Film Adhesive

"Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) proposes to design, develop and characterize a novel, toughened adhesive system for damage tolerant joints. Joint bonding material must meet stringent mechanical and physical property standards to achieve thenecessary level of performance for aircraft structures. The bonds will experience a variety of environmental and loading stresses, and appropriate toughening of these bonds must be addressed. Current approaches utilize z-axis pinning of joint, which tendto damage the composite panels. Scrim materials have also shown toughening of the bond, but have not achieved the exclusive z-direction strength that is needed. CRG's approach is based on next-generation materials that are focused on increased bonddurability and toughness. This research effort focuses on the orientation of nanofibers in a film adhesive. The nanofibers would be oriented during the film adhesive manufacturing process, not at joint bonding. Therefore, implementation of this technologywill be transparent to the joint bonding process. We are partnered with Loctite Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of high-performance adhesive, on this research effort. The toughen adhesives developed in this program opens up a new market for filmadhesives. In metal and composite panel fabrication in aerospace, automotive and multiple structural applications, film adhesives are the preferred form of adhesive due their ease of use and high per