Nanofiber Toughened Adhesives

Joint bonding material must meet stringent mechanical and physical property standards to achieve the necessary level of performance for aircraft structures. The bonds will experience a variety of environmental and loading stresses, and appropriatetoughening of these bonds must be addressed. In Phase I, Cornerstone Research Group, Inc.'s (CRG) technical approach was based on next-generation materials that would increase bond durability, toughness and fatigue. CRG proved the feasibility ofincorporating carbon nanofibers into high-performance adhesives. Based on these results, CRG proposes to develop and characterize a novel adhesive that is toughened with carbon nanofibers. The resulting material system will provide toughening on thenanoscale, which is revolutionary in the field of adhesives. In Phase I, CRG was partnered with Loctite Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of high-performance adhesives. Based on the results from Phase I, Loctite Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Missiles andFire Control - Orlando support CRG's continued development of nanofiber toughened adhesives into Phase II.