Secondary Adhesive Bonding of Polymer-Matrix Composites

Abstract This article presents an overview of adhesive joint design. It explains the selection, validation, and characterization of the bonding system. The article presents the considerations involved in highly loaded joints. Bonding systems are composed of the adherend, adhesive, surface preparation, and the bonding process itself. The article describes common adhesives and surface preparations used on thermosetting composite and metal adherends for aerospace applications. While the focus of this article is polymer-matrix composites, metals are briefly covered because they can be adhesively bonded to composites. The thermosetting composites covered in detail are those composed of epoxy matrices. The metals described in greater detail include aluminum and titanium, although others are also adhesively bonded.