Huntsman Araldite Adhesive Testing and Simulations
Huntsman Araldite provides extensive adhesive testing and simulations that test an adhesive’s ability to fit into a customer’s application design. These models allow manufacturers and operators to accurately qualify adhesives for their projects. This is done using the wealth of information available on the physical, mechanical and thermal behaviour of their products.
Through Huntsman’s adhesive testing and simulation techniques, manufacturers benefit from:
- High simulation accuracy of up to 90%
- Fast results – reducing time spent on the qualification process
- Reduced cost – optimising the budget spent on the qualification process
- No wasted products – allowing manufacturers to choose the most appropriate product for their needs
Parameters Used for Adhesive Testing and Simulations
Huntsman Araldite help manufacturers choose the right adhesive for their project through a combination of factors, including:
Thermal Stress
Understanding the relative expansion/shrinkage characteristics of the two contacting materials, as caused by thermal changes and stress, is critical to determining application success.
Tensile Strength
An adhesive’s ability to withstand stresses without breaking, as well as its general behaviour when exposed to different amounts of stress, is crucial in determining its suitability for an application.
Dimensional Change Under Load
The expected dimensional changes of a given material when under load can be calculated using Poisson’s ratio, determining the suitability of an adhesive for an application.
Adhesive Toughness
The overall resistance of a material to an applied load can be determined using its fracture toughness, ensuring that no fractures arise, spread or develop throughout the application.
State Changes
Some adhesives will fall below the glass transition temperature in their glass state, while others will function above it in a soft and flexible state. Therefore, the glass transition temperature is important for qualifying an adhesive for an application.
Tensile Shear Strength
It’s important to consider the amount of shear force that can be exerted on a lap joint before failure occurs.
Peel Strength
The strength of the adhesive required for an application can be determined by considering the force required to progressively separate two bonded flexible substrates.
Density of Cured Adhesive
The density of the adhesive required is related to the evenness of the application area and whether the adhesive can adequately cover it.
Volumetric Shrinkage
Volumetric shrinkage is a key factor in preventing joint failure, by understanding joint deformation and any changes associated with the part’s stiffness and shape.
Adhesive Hardness
The adhesive hardness is related to the level of direct impact and resistance to penetration that an adhesive is able to withstand when applied on the part.
