Application Procedures

Curing:

Read Material Safety Data Sheet carefully before use.  Product can be washed from the skin with mild soap and warm water.  Prolonged skin contact should be avoided to prevent irritation.  If any material contacts the eyes, flush continuously with water or neutralizing solutions, then consult a physician immediately.

Mixing:

Application:

Surface Preparation:

Clean surfaces thoroughly prior to application.  Extremely smooth surfaces are difficult to bond and should be roughened whenever possible.  Porous substrates tend to absorb the adhesive binders and should be pre-coated.

High Vacuum Applications:

High temperature adhesives tend to settle in the container and should be mixed thoroughly and slowly to avoid air entrapment.

Flexible Ceramic adhesives can be used under high vacuum conditions without out-gassing.

Apply adhesive to each surface in a thin coat using a brush, spatula or dispenser.  Wet the surface thoroughly to ensure good adhesion.  Maintain a uniform glue line thickness of 2-8 mils.  Apply even pressure (clamp if possible), and wipe away excess material before drying.

A graded adhesive joint is recommended when bonding components which have a gross difference in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).  First, coat each substrate with the adhesive that best matches its CTE, then use a third adhesive with an intermediate CTE to bond the parts together.

Example:  Bond nickel to silica by pre-coating with Flexible Ceramics adhesive.  Mate surfaces with minimal pressure - 15 ft. lbs. torque or 200 psi and cure at 550°F for 5 hours.

When it is necessary to use an adhesive alternatively as a coating, and several applications are required.   A cure at 350°F for 3 hours is recommended.

In general, all products should heat cured at 550°F for 5 hours minimum.  Blistering may occur if the glue line is too thick or heating too rapid.

Safety:

Follow the guidelines below for applying Flexible Ceramics' high temperature adhesives.  Make sure to read specific application instructions before use.