Advances in epoxy adhesives

Epoxy adhesives are among the most versatile structural adhesives, as the desired properties can be obtained through the careful selection of epoxy resins, curatives, catalysts, curing methods, curing temperatures, reactive functionality stoichiometric ratios, reactive and nonreactive diluents, fillers, tougheners, and even other chemistries for hybridization of the epoxy adhesive. The cost-effective nature and the variety of dispensing form factors for epoxy adhesives have given rise to applications with wide-ranging mechanical and environmental performance requirements in aerospace to electronics to medical devices. Considerable efforts have gone into advancing the use of epoxy adhesives in commercial applications with adhesion, toughness, and durability being critical factors in bonding a multitude of metal and composite substrates.