The invention includes a method of bonding a perfluoroelastomer material to first surface that includes: (a) contacting a first surface with a bonding agent comprising a curable perfluoropolymer and a curing agent; (b) curing the bonding agent to form a perfluoroelastomer material that is bonded to the first surface. In the practice of such method, the bonding agent may be a solution prepared by dissolving the curable perfluoroelastomer and the curing agent in a solvent. In an embodiment of the invention, the perfluoroelastomer material formed in step (b) is a coating layer or, alternatively, the first surface is a surface of a perfluoroelastomer member and the perfluoroelastomer material formed is a perfluoroelastomer weld.

Disclosed are thermoset/thermoplastic composites that include a thermoset component directly or indirectly bonded to a thermoplastic component via a crosslinked binding layer between the two. The crosslinked binding layer is bonded to the thermoplastic component via epoxy linkages and is either directly or indirectly bonded to the thermoset component via epoxy linkages. The composite can be a laminate and can provide a route for addition of a thermoplastic implant to a thermoset structure.

A method of making a modular wind turbine blade is described. The modular blade comprises first and second blade modules connected together by a scarf joint between tapered spar caps of the respective blade modules. According to the method, first and second blade modules are laid up in the same mould assembly. A separating layer is arranged between the layups of the first and second module in a joint region of the mould. The separating layer has a thickness corresponding to a required bond thickness in the scarf joint when the modules are bonded together.

A composite blade includes a composite blade body including reinforced fibers and resin; a metal layer provided on an outer side of a leading edge section including a leading edge that is a part of the composite blade body on an upstream side of an air stream, the metal layer having a thickness of equal to or larger than 5 micrometers and equal to or smaller than 100 micrometers; an adhesive layer provided between the composite blade body and the metal layer to bond the metal layer to the composite blade body; and an electric insulating layer provided in contact with a surface of the leading edge section of the composite blade body, the surface being on the side on which the metal layer is provided, the electric insulating layer having an electric insulating property.

Described herein are techniques for reducing resin squeeze-out including a method comprising receiving a first component and a second component, where the first component is configured to be joined to the second component at an overlap area using an adhesive layer to form a structure having a ledge. The method further comprises applying the adhesive layer to the overlap area on the first component. The method further comprises selectively curing a portion of the adhesive layer adjacent to the ledge. The method further comprises forming the structure by combining the first component, the second component, and the adhesive layer and curing a remainder of the adhesive layer.

Illustrative examples of forming and using suitably adapted materials for improving interface strength between thermoset-thermoplastic joined parts includes exposure of a thermoplastic substrate to a plasma to form an amine-functionalized substrate having amine chemical moieties disposed on a first surface. The first surface of the thermoplastic substrate is positioned adjacent to and contacts a second surface of a thermoset substrate to form a workpiece. The thermoset substrate includes epoxide chemical moieties on and within material forming the thermoset substrate. The workpiece is subsequently heated to form a structure, where heating of the workpiece causes covalent chemical bonds to form between the plasma-treated first surface of the thermoplastic substrate and the second surface of the thermoset substrate. Thereafter, additional thermoplastic components can be fusion bonded to a surface of the thermoplastic substrate opposite the first surfacethereby providing improved attachment of additional thermoplastic components to the thermoset substrate.

Illustrative examples of forming and using suitably adapted materials for improving interface strength between thermoset-thermoplastic joined parts includes exposure of a thermoplastic substrate to a plasma to form an amine-functionalized substrate having amine chemical moieties disposed on a first surface. The first surface of the thermoplastic substrate is positioned adjacent to and contacts a second surface of a thermoset substrate to form a workpiece. The thermoset substrate includes epoxide chemical moieties on and within material forming the thermoset substrate. The workpiece is subsequently heated to form a structure, where heating of the workpiece causes covalent chemical bonds to form between the plasma-treated first surface of the thermoplastic substrate and the second surface of the thermoset substrate. Thereafter, additional thermoplastic components can be fusion bonded to a surface of the thermoplastic substrate opposite the first surfacethereby providing improved attachment of additional thermoplastic components to the thermoset substrate.

A method to prepare a composite laminate object containing an extrusion grade 7xxx Al substrate and a fiber-reinforced polypropylene layer adhesively laminated to the substrate; is provided. The process includes shaping and cutting an extruded 7xxx aluminum to a profile, assembling a layered arrangement of the 7xxx Al profile as substrate, an adhesive film and a fiber reinforced polypropylene preform, heating the layered arrangement to a temperature of 160-175 C. to melt the polypropylene and activate the adhesive film, applying pressure to at least a surface of the fiber reinforced polypropylene preform to mold the preform to the shape of the extruded 7xxxAl substrate and obtain a semi-finished laminate object, cooling the semi-finished laminate object to 90 C., optionally, cooling the semi-finished laminate object to room temperature for inventory storage; heat treating the semi-finished laminate object at 90 C. for 2 to 8 hours; and then heat treating the semi-finished laminate object at 130 C. to 150 C. for 8 to 16 hours; and cooling the heat treated object to obtain the composite laminate object.

A heat and/or UV/LED activated single or double-sided tape is configured to seal multiple sheets of single or multilayer composite film with the film including an outer fluoropolymer layer. A repair kit includes a single-sided and/or double-sided heat and UV/LED activated adhesive tape, portable surface treater, and portable heat/UV/LED generating device. The single-sided and/or double-sided heat and UV/LED activated adhesive tape is useful in the manufacturing of architectural applications and in repair of architectural applications.

Induction cooktops and operational methods are provided herein. A method of determining material composition of cookware on an induction cooktop can include determining that a piece of cookware is on the induction cooktop, inducing a current within the piece of cookware with an induction coil of the induction cooktop, and obtaining a peak induction coil current, a smoothed input line current, and a phase shift of current flowing in the induction coil. The method can further include comparing the peak induction coil current, the smoothed input line current, and the phase shift each to a set of predetermined ranges, and determining candidate material compositions for the cookware based on the comparing of each of the peak induction coil current, the smoothed input line current, and the phase shift.