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Expanded capabilities for aircraft honeycomb adhesives
Bonding and gap filling combined - lighter weight, higher efficiencyCONTACT 3M AEROSPACE EXPERTSThe commercial aircraft industry is back in growth mode. The IATA has predicted that operating profits would rise $49.3 billion in 2024 from $40.7 billion in 2023.¹ The US Federal Aviation Administration (PDF, 114 KB) has pointed out that even as airlines became smaller via aircraft retirements post-COVID, they would also acquire new, more fuel-efficient aircraft for the future.²
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The impact to aircraft interior construction
A large portion of aircraft construction involves product choices for interiors. So manufacturers must necessarily focus on honeycomb materials that keep up with challenges for lightweighting, FST (fire, smoke and toxicity) requirements and more – both the substrates and the adhesives.
Honeycomb material choices are shifting from composite, phenolic resin-coated aramid fiber paper, such as Nomex, to materials like Kevlar, thermoplastics and recyclable alternatives such as polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). This shift presents potential challenges for adhesive choices, as the adhesives and gap fillers must bond to a greater number of substrates.
Beyond these changes, manufacturers of aircraft interior components face three key challenges in choosing adhesives. Adhesives must help achieve lighter net weight. They must meet industry FST standards. At the same time, they must deliver higher efficiency in processing and application – especially for two-part epoxies, which require accurate mixing and cure times. In the past, manufacturers have also needed to use separate adhesive materials to achieve important functions like bonding and gap filling across the aircraft interior.
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Industry leaders like 3M have responded. A recent case study compared the use of a standard two-part epoxy adhesive with a density of 1,3 versus 3M lightweight EC-9370 B/A FST, which has a density of less than 0,7.
The case study featured a business-class honeycomb interior installation on a wide-body aircraft. The results indicated that using 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Epoxy Adhesive EC-9370 B/A FST in this application can save more than 50kg of weight per aircraft.
- <0.7g/cm3 mixed density
- >10 MPa (1450 PSI) Overlap shear strength at room temperature
- >35 MPa (5076 PSI) compressive strength after room temperature cure
- Cocurable with structural adhesive films and prepregs
- Provides good tack, excellent shop handling
- Long shop life of up to 30 days storage at room temperature
- Meets flammability, smoke density, and toxic gas emission requirements as listed in 14 CFR / CS 25.853 and ABD0031
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A versatile non-sag adhesive and gap filler hybrid
3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Epoxy Adhesive EC-9370 B/A FST is one of the latest aircraft adhesive solutions from 3M. This two-part, room temperature curing epoxy paste adhesive features a very versatile chemistry, which means that it can be used to bond metals and honeycomb panels in a wide range of processes, including bond panels, inset potting, void filling, core reinforcement, and edge filling, without an additive.
Essentially a hybrid product, this thixotropic paste has a very low density (as low as 0.7 g/cm3) and high compressive trend performance (> 35 MPa after room temperature curing). This combination makes it useful as a base adhesive and as a low-density void filler. Engineers do not need to specify multiple adhesives and separate void filler materials – EC-9370 can be used in more places across the aircraft interior, allowing for streamlined operations.
3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Epoxy Adhesive EC-9370 B/A FST also features non-sag properties which make it compatible with vertical application. It’s also available in 50 mL and 200 mL cartridges, helping to facilitate accurate and consistent mixing across applications. The result: excellent management of final part weights, as well as the potential for reduced manufacturing complexities and costs.
With a deep history of adhesive development, 3M offers a range of two-part epoxy adhesives for composite bonding. This development is tightly aligned to the latest challenges facing aircraft manufacturers: lightweighting, FST compliance, and the constant need to achieve greater efficiency at scale. EC-9730 is just one example of how a single adhesive can help deliver lighter net weight, achieve consistency, streamline production, and reduce product sourcing and inventory.
¹International Air Transport Association, “Airlines,” Industry outlook upgraded to $25.7 billion profitin 2024, December 23, 2013
²Federal Aviation Association, Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2022–2042CloseThank You
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