This paper presents the results of a study on the use of induction heating
for rapid curing of a commercially available room-temperature curing paste
adhesive, with a view to application in the repair of composite structures.
The repair of damaged composite structures using adhesively bonded patches
is ofter, a very time-consuming process. This is partly due to the long ti
mes required for complete and satisfactory cure of the adhesive systems use
d. While the curing process can be accelerated by application of heat throu
gh devices such as heating blankets and lamps, these methods are inefficien
t since considerable heat is lost to the surrounding material and environme
nt. The method of electromagnetic heating, however, is well suited for rapi
d and localized heating of the adhesive bondline provided suitable suscepto
rs are used. In this paper, it is shown that induction heating can be succe
ssfully used to cure a room-temperature curing paste adhesive. Furthermore,
results of single lap shear and double notched shear specimen tests show n
o substantial reduction in the strength of bonded joints with the use of em
bedded susceptors.