Electrical glass curing

Figure 7. Bonding metal to glass by means of electrical induction curing of a film adhesive.

An important appHcation is for filament-wound glass-reinforced pipe used in oil fields, chemical plants, water distribution, and as electrical conduits. Low viscosity Hquid systems having good mechanical properties (elongation at break) when cured are preferred. These are usually cured with Hquid anhydride or aromatic-amine hardeners. Similar systems are used for filament-win ding pressure botdes and rocket motor casings. 

The dough moulding compounds were originally developed in an attempt to combine the mechanical properties of polyester-glass laminates with the speed of cure of conventional moulding powder. In spite of their somewhat high cost they have now established themselves in a number of applications where a mechanieally strong electrical insulant is required. 

The cured polymer samples used for physical property testing were prepared by photocuring 12 mil thick sheets of degassed and photosensitized monomer mixtures, using a mold composed of glass plates lined with polyester film and separated by a double thickness of vinyl electrical tape. A GE sunlamp was used for Illumination, and Darocure 1173 (E. Merck) was used as the photoinitiator. Hydrocarbon monomers were used as received from the manufacturers. All the vinyl group-containing compounds were stored at -5°C until use. 

Another important factor that would be important in many of the applications where epoxy-polyimide could be used is the dielectric constant. The high dielectric values of epoxy, in the range 3.5-10, result from the many hydroxyl groups in cured epoxy resin and preclude its use in electrically demanding applications. Polyimide with its excellent physical properties of high temperature stability and low dielectric constant make it an ideal candidate to replace the glass reinforcement in epoxy printed circuit boards. 

One of the most popular uses of radiant curing is the advancement (viscosity increase) or crosslinking of pressure-sensitive adhesives. These applications have been satisfied mostly with acrylate-based adhesive systems. With epoxy-based adhesives, the main applications are electrical and electronic components, the bonding of large aerospace structures such as composites, and the bonding of transparent substrates such as glass and plastic. 

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