Methacrylate Adhesives Bond Turbine Blades
ITW Plexus has developed fast-curing, 1:1 methacrylate structural adhesives for turbine blades. These advanced methacrylate adhesives chemically fuse FRP/GRP, composite stiffener spars and perimeter flange joints. They also give increased peel resistance and cycle fatigue resistance while reducing damage encountered during transportation. Room temperature snap cure properties have helped to increase production rates and eliminate the high capital expenses and energy costs associated with post-bake ovens that are required to cure some epoxies. No abrasion or surface preparation is required. The company's MA560 and MA590 adhesives are also claimed to increase blade performance and reduce processing time. Effective resistance to bending and fatigue is a major consideration in blade design as the outer composite shell cannot perform this function without the assistance of internal stiffening. Box and C-shaped structures are often used to provide the required bending strength and stiff...