Masterbond Fulfils Requirements for Airbus Adhesive

    Masterbond has announced that its new Masterbond EP93FRHT adhesive has passed stringent testing and has been approved for use in the manufacture of Airbus aircraft. The two-part epoxy is suitable for use as an adhesive, a sealant, or as an encapsulating system for potting electronics. The non-halogenated flame-retardant epoxy will be used on interior panels, flooring and door assemblies where flame protection will be a vital safety prerequisite.

   The new product is compatible with a wide range of substrates and bonds at room temperature overnight. Thereafter, Airbus will achieve final curing with three to five hours cure at 150-200°F. Masterbond says that its new adhesive has particularly high resistance to thermal cycling as well as good chemical resistance.

  To achieve approval, the adhesive was subjected to vertical burn testing, smoke emission testing, and toxic emission tests. Masterbond notes that aside from its compatibility with a wide range of substrates, the adhesive has electrical insulation properties, low shrinkage during the curing process, and convenient mixing using two color-coded components and a one to one (by weight) mixing ratio.