AEROSIL® for Adhesives and Sealants - Adhesives & Sealants by ...

AEROSIL® fumed silica are used in adhesives andsealants to bond and seal cockpits, fuel tanks, andpressurized cabins.AEROSIL® – Advantages for Adhesivesand Sealants in the Aircraft IndustryWith AEROSIL® you’ll always win by a nose – even under maximumtemperature fluctuationA large number of different adhesive andsealant systems have gained significancein the aircraft industry. Examples of someof the important applications requiringadhesives and sealants are the bondingand sealing of cockpits, fuel tanks,pressurized cabins, and the embedding ofelectronic components. The propertiesrequired for these adhesive and sealantsystems are often determined by usingstandardized test methods, some of whichcome from the military field. The industryutilizes a wide selection of testingstandards, such as ASTM or UL.Adhesives and sealants based on epoxyresins, methacrylates, silicones, andpolysulfides are used to seal cockpits andwindow panes. The bond must be able towithstand high pressure differences andtemperature changes, as well as displayinghigh UV resistance. Sealants are used toseal joints or entire inside walls of fueltanks. The sealants used for fuel tanks arebased on polysulfide polymers, epoxyresins, or silicones. Sealants are alsorequired in the aircraft industry to sealcabins, which have to withstand highpressure.The key parameters for this kind ofsealant are elasticity and high strength.Potting compounds and adhesives areadditionally used to encapsulate andprotect electronic components. Systemsbased on polyurethanes, silicones, orepoxy resins are used for these applications.Finally, adhesives and sealants are alsoused to prevent corrosion. Corrosionoccurs when airplanes come into contactwith salt water. Adhesives based oncyanacrylate, methacrylate, or epoxy resinare used for this application. AEROSIL®products can be used to achieve a widerange of effects in these systems;AEROSIL® fumed silica acts as athixotropic agent, reinforcing agent, andalso as an anti-settling agent. A mere 1%of AEROSIL® fumed silica, for instance,can reduce the settling behavior of fillersin potting compounds used to encapsulateelectronic devices.The overview on page 23 of this brochurerecommends the AEROSIL® product bestsuited for most adhesive and sealantapplications.11