Hughes Electronics Corporation

Andre Wallace

William E Elias

Brian M Punsly

A family of adhesives is provided for bonding cyanate ester composite articles together which is also plateable with metal once chemically etched. The adhesives comprise a polymeric matrix and a filler of metal powder or metal flakes. The polymeric matrix comprises at least one polyepoxide resin and at least one curing agent. In practice, the present adhesive is applied to the surface of cyanate ester composite articles to be bonded and is allowed to cure in air at a temperature less than 125&deg; C. Thereafter, the surface of the assembly is chemically etched and then plated with metal. The present adhesives enable the complete coverage of the cyanate ester composite assembly with the plated metal, including the adhesive bondlines. A cyanate ester resin structure assembled with the present adhesive composition may, upon plating, replace certain metallic components in such applications as aircraft, spacecraft, and automobiles given its highly conductive and comprehensive metallic coating.

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Moreno Valley, CA, United States of America

Andre Wallace