Bonding, process control curing

Rigid process controls insure that each batch of bonded joints receives proper processing during the surface preparation, fabrication, and cure processes. Surface preparation processes are controlled with respect to... 

The sulfenamide S—N bond strength controls the scorch safety and cure rate. The more labile this bond, the more readily the active cure promoter mercapto-benzothiazole is released at the onset of the cross-linking process. A family of sulfonamides has been developed to span a range of cure rates. Common historical members of this class are shown in Table 3, arranged from fast curing to... 

Pressure and heat are applied in the process of curing a thermosetting adhesive resin. The resin viscosity typically decreases initially in a thermoplastic response to the heat. The viscosity then increases in response to crosslinking of the polymer molecules in the resin, the kinetics of which are influenced by heat. The resin becomes solid and the heat and pressure are removed as the process is completed. The duration of the thermoplastic phase controls the amount of flow into the wood and must be carefully manipulated for each process. In the case of bonding at ambient temperatures, such as in lumber laminating, the resin is typically catalyzed chemically and cured under pressure. 

Industrial processing of adhesives has made considerable progress from the crude processes of the past [1]. Unfortunately, one of the disadvantages of adhesive bonding as an assembly method is that a bond area cannot be inspected visually. Inspection must be carried out by two methods destructive and nondestructive. Destructive inspection may be carried out on process-control test specimens prepared from the same adherend and adhesive materials as used for the production parts. The process-control specimen, as the name implies, accompanies the production parts throughout the stages of cleaning, assembly, and cure. The adhesives and adherends are all assembled at the same time and cured in the same press or autoclave. 

First part qualification. First part qualification is a process performed the first time a new bonded assembly is manufactured or the first time a new tool is used to manufacture a bonded assembly. First part qualification provides assurance that all of the aspects that control bond assembly quality, such as the design dimensions, detail part manufacturing techniques, tool dimensions, layup procedures and autoclave cure cycle parameters are correct and will produce a bond assembly that meets the engineering requirements. 

The application of instrumentation to the automatic control of a sequence of operations, e.g., injection moulding processes. Once the mould has been loaded with inserts (assuming a rubber to metal bonded part) into the press, the operation of a push-button starts the controller which closes the press, injects the rubber, controls the cure cycle, recharges the injection unit, opens the press, operates the ejectors and presents the mould for cleaning and loading of inserts. 

The influence of ZnCFO concentration (3,0 5,0 7,0 phr) on formation of properties complex of the unfilled rubber mixes and their vulcanizates on the basis of isoprene rubber of the following recipe, phr isoprene rubber - 100,0 sulfur - 1,0 di - (2-benzothiazolyl) -disulfide - 0,6 N, N -diphenylguanidine - 3,0 stearic acid - 1,0, was carried out in comparison with the known activator - zinc oxide (5,0 phr). The analysis of Rheometer data of sulfur vulcanization process of elastomeric compositions at 155°C (fig. 5) shows, that on crosslink density and cure rate, about what the constants of speed in the main period (k2) testify, they surpass the control composition with 5,0 phr of zinc oxide. Improvement of the complex of elastic - strong parameters of rubbers with ZnCFO as at normal test conditions, and after thermal air aging (tab. 1), probably, is caused by influence of the new activator on vulcanization network character. So, the percent part of polysulfide bonds (C-Sx-C) and amount of sulfur atoms appropriating to one crosslink (S atoms/crosslink) in vulcanizates with ZnCFO are decreased, the percent part of disulfide bonds (C-S2-C) is increased (fig. 62). 

Control of crosslinking is critical for processing thermoset plastics, both the reaction prior to the gel point and that subsequent to the gel point. The period after the gel point is usually referred to as the curing period. Too slow or too rapid crosslinking can be detrimental to the properties of a desired product. Thus, in the production of a thermoset foamed product, the foam structure may collapse if gelation occurs too slowly. On the other hand, for reinforced and laminated products the bond strength of the components may be low if crosslinking occurs too quickly. 

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