The ability of bonding agents to withstand thermal and mechanical stress is vital in any application where even the slightest loss of structural integrity can result in performance degradation or even failure. For military and aerospace applications in particular, the stability of bonding agents plays a fundamental role in ensuring mission success when bonded structures face extremes in temperature, vibration, or acceleration. In two such applications, Master Bond EP21TDC-2LO demonstrated its ability to maintain structural integrity under the harshest conditions.
Master Bond Polymer System EP21TDC-2LO is a two-component epoxy resin compound that exhibits high thermal conductivity and excellent electrical insulation. Mixed in a one-to-three ratio, the compound fully cures overnight at ambient temperature or in 2-3 hours at 200°F. The cured compound exhibits outstanding toughness and exceptional tensile elongation for a thermally conductive epoxy. Unlike most flexible epoxies, it passes NASA low outgassing test criteria.
With a service range of 4K to +250°F, it is particularly well suited to bonding applications that need to maintain integrity in harsh environments. Its ability to withstand thermal and mechanical stress in those environments make Master Bond EP21TDC-2LO the bonding agent of choice in many military and aerospace applications.
The following applications illustrate the reliability of EP21TDC-2LO under extreme conditions encountered in near-earth orbit.
Production uses and experimental studies of EP21TDC-2LO
| Industry | Application | EP21TDC-2LO Role | Critical Properties |
| Military | Bonding optical components in a laser system 1 | Bonding laser system mirrors to military standards | Cure properties Stability during thermal and mechanical stress |
| Aerospace | Bonding heat-exchange structures in a space-borne platform 2, 3, 4 | Bonding dissimilar materials in the heat-exchange condenser in the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station (ISS) | Thermal stability High thermal conductivity Compatible coefficient of thermal expansion |
Conclusion
Military and space-borne platforms face some of the harshest conditions experienced by any application. Despite significant stresses arising from thermal and mechanical factors, bonding agents used in critical components of those platforms must maintain structural integrity. Master Bond EP21TDC-2LO demonstrates this ability, leading to its use in mission-critical applications in military and aerospace.
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1ÜNAL, Optomechanical Analysis And Experimental Validation Of Bonding Based Prism And Mirror Mounts In A Laser System, Master Thesis in Mechanical Engineering, MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, 2012. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614161/index.pdf
2Gargiulo, AMS-02 presentation, TALENT Summer School , CERN, 4 June 2013. https://indico.cern.ch/event/237380/contributions/1551856/attachments/39...
3van Es, et al., AMS02 Tracker Thermal Control System Overview And Spin-Off For Future Spacecraft Cooling System Developments, 60th International Astronautical Federation Congress, IAC-09.C2.7.1, 2009. https://ams.nasa.gov/Documents/AMS%20in%20The%20News/IAC-09.C2.7.1_Paper...
4Alberti, et al., Development of a Thermal Control System with Mechanically Pumped CO2 Two-Phase Loops for the AMS-02 Tracker on the ISS, ArXiv:1302.4294, 2013. https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1302/1302.4294.pdf