Low Viscosity, High Strength Adhesive Materials with Low CTE

NanoSonic shall develop and demonstrate a novel low viscosity, UV curable adhesive that will possess high strength, high glass transition temperatures (Tg), and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for precise bonding. NanoSonic will validate the proposed cycloaliphatic epoxy silane adhesive material that is molecularly engineered for rapid, near room temperature photocuring and display low shrinkage during cure for precision alignment of Zerodur® and related low CTE ceramics for construction of telescopes. The proposed HybridSil low CTE epoxy silane adhesive will be molecularly tailored and formulated to possess the following properties: shear strength >4,000 psi; tensile strength >6,300 psi; glass transition >60 °C with near-room-temperature cure; viscosity ~12 Poise; and low outgassing. NanoSonic will develop low viscosity, crosslinked hybrid organic – inorganic UV cured epoxy adhesives that are molecularly engineered for exceptional adhesion to low CTE ceramics without high temperature processing, which may damage and cause stress increases leading to cracking. The silane crosslinking reactions can be used to introduction inorganic silicate nanoparticles in situ to modify the CTE, possibly eliminating the need for the typical high filler loading approach. The proposed HybridSil UV curable epoxy silane adhesive shall be engineered to rapidly set in minutes to afford submicron precision alignment of a telescope without prolonged support of placement equipment. The developed adhesive material shall be characterized for its chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties via real-time FTIR, rheometry, DSC, DMA, TMA, and Instron load frame.

NASA needs low viscosity, UV curable adhesives with high strength, high glass transition temperatures and low coefficient of thermal expansion for precise bonding of Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and other stable structure applications. These UV curable adhesives are used as potting and encapsulant materials in electronics.

Aliphatic UV curable materials are used as wood finishings, adhesives, UV stable coatings, automotive protectant coatings, optical fibers coatings and cable jackets. Epoxy adhesive and resins with low CTE properties are used widely in optical and electrical components.

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