Liquid Crystalline Adhesives with Zero Shrinkage

The proposed program will develop a liquid crystalline Adhesive with Zero Shrinkage, for bonding of airframe joints. Aspen Systems, Inc. is currently in the process of developing a new class of epoxide resins. These new epoxy materials are based on orderable, low molecular weight liquid crystalline structures with flexible, difunctional end chains. The structural ordering of the liquid crystalline monomers in the liquid form have low free volume which will be used to develop the zero shrinkage structure adhesives. The resulting high temperature epoxy adhesives will have minimum shrinkage, high dynamic modulus and high shear strength. ASPEN's Research and Development Team is comprised of leading experts in polymer & material science, advanced composites, and aerospace engineering. Our Academic partner is Professor Bruce N. Novak of the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.