RF cured nanocomposite adhesives for multi-material joining applications

Abstract

A method for fabricating, and curing, nanocomposite adhesives including introducing nanoheater elements into a heat-curing adhesive to fabricate a nanocomposite adhesive, and providing a radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic wave to the nanocomposite adhesive to heat, and cure the nanocomposite adhesive. The nanocomposite adhesive is physically applied to first and second materials to bond the first and second materials upon curing of the nanocomposite adhesive, and the RF electromagnetic wave has a frequency in the radio-frequency range, having energy that is transferred to the nanoheater elements by electromagnetic wave interactions with permanent and induced dipoles, intrinsic photon-phonon interaction, or interactions with nanoheater defects and grain structures.