Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed to a primer saturated carrier medium assembly including a carrier medium having a front face and an opposing rear face, a primer saturating the carrier medium between the front face and the opposing rear face, and removable film impenetrable to the primer covering opposite faces of the carrier medium. A method of applying primer to a surface includes applying a face of a primer saturated carrier medium to contact a surface, and curing the primer saturated carrier medium on the surface. A structure includes a primer saturated medium including a carrier medium having a front face and an opposing rear face, and a primer saturating the carrier medium between the front face and the opposing rear face. The structure further includes a surface adhered to the primer on one face of the primer saturated medium.

Abstract: An in-situ double vacuum debulk (DVD) composite repair system designed to produce partially or fully cured autoclave-quality hot-bond composite repairs on contoured structures. The system provides vacuum pressure for hot bond repairs to be performed on flat and contoured structures using one set-up capable of debulking (partially curing) and then fully curing composite repairs on composite and metallic aircraft structures. The use of in-situ DVD also eliminates handling of the patch/adhesive when transferring from an off-aircraft DVD chamber to the repair site on the aircraft. This can increase the probability of successful repairs because the possibility of contaminating and misaligning the adhesive and repair patch are eliminated.

Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed to a primer saturated carrier medium assembly including a carrier medium having a front face and an opposing rear face, a primer saturating the carrier medium between the front face and the opposing rear face, and removable film impenetrable to the primer covering opposite faces of the carrier medium. A method of applying primer to a surface includes applying a face of a primer saturated carrier medium to contact a surface, and curing the primer saturated carrier medium on the surface. A structure includes a primer saturated medium including a carrier medium having a front face and an opposing rear face, and a primer saturating the carrier medium between the front face and the opposing rear face. The structure further includes a surface adhered to the primer on one face of the primer saturated medium.

Abstract: There is provided a high temperature hybridized molecular functional group adhesion barrier coating for a composite structure. The coating has one or more hybridized molecular functional groups attached to a composite surface of the composite structure, wherein the one or more hybridized molecular functional groups are hybridized through a chemical derivatization process. The coating further has one or more chemical derivatization compounds attached to the one or more hybridized molecular functional groups via a condensation reaction. The coating is resistant to high heat temperatures in a range of from about 350 degrees Fahrenheit to about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the coating is a thermally protective, toughened adhesion coating that mitigates effects of a hostile operating environment.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods of creating altered adhesive bonded joints between metal or composite substrates, including bonds that are weaker in strength than selected reference bonds. One method of creating an altered adhesive bond includes providing a first substrate and a second substrate, selecting a manufacturing process having a plurality of steps designed to produce a desired, or reference, adhesive bond having a desired strength, and selectively altering at least one of the plurality of steps during performance of the manufacturing process to produce an altered bond between the first substrate and the second substrate, the altered bond having an altered strength that is weaker than the strength of the desired adhesive bond. The systems may include systems that may be utilized to create the altered adhesive bonds and/or test standards.

Abstract: An in-situ double vacuum debulk (DVD) composite repair system designed to produce partially or fully cured autoclave-quality hot-bond composite repairs on contoured structures. The system provides vacuum pressure for hot bond repairs to be performed on flat and contoured structures using one set-up capable of debulking (partially curing) and then fully curing composite repairs on composite and metallic aircraft structures. The use of in-situ DVD also eliminates handling of the patch/adhesive when transferring from an off-aircraft DVD chamber to the repair site on the aircraft. This can increase the probability of successful repairs because the possibility of contaminating and misaligning the adhesive and repair patch are eliminated.

Abstract: There is provided a high temperature hybridized molecular functional group adhesion barrier coating for a composite structure. The coating has one or more hybridized molecular functional groups attached to a composite surface of the composite structure, wherein the one or more hybridized molecular functional groups are hybridized through a chemical derivatization process. The coating further has one or more chemical derivatization compounds attached to the one or more hybridized molecular functional groups via a condensation reaction. The coating is resistant to high heat temperatures in a range of from about 350 degrees Fahrenheit to about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the coating is a thermally protective, toughened adhesion coating that mitigates effects of a hostile operating environment.

Abstract: An in-situ double vacuum debulk (DVD) composite repair system designed to produce partially or fully cured autoclave-quality hot-bond composite repairs on contoured structures. The system provides vacuum pressure for hot bond repairs to be performed on flat and contoured structures using one set-up capable of debulking (partially curing) and then fully curing composite repairs on composite and metallic aircraft structures. The use of in-situ DVD also eliminates handling of the patch/adhesive when transferring from an off-aircraft DVD chamber to the repair site on the aircraft. This can increase the probability of successful repairs because the possibility of contaminating and misaligning the adhesive and repair patch are eliminated.

Abstract: The disclosure provides in one embodiment a method of applying a high temperature hybridized molecular functional group adhesion barrier coating to a surface of a structure. The method includes providing a structure having at least one surface to be bonded, preparing the at least one surface to expose active reactive surface sites, providing one or more liquid or solid phase chemical derivatization compounds, applying heat to the one or more liquid or solid phase chemical derivatization compounds to vaporize the one or more liquid or solid chemical derivatization compounds, depositing the one or more vaporized chemical derivatization compounds on the prepared surface to form a derivatized composite surface having hybridized molecular functional groups, and heat curing the derivatized composite surface to form a high temperature hybridized molecular functional group adhesion barrier coating.

Abstract: A method of processing a patch includes mounting the patch on a surface of a caul plate having at least one suction hole, and drawing a vacuum through the suction hole to maintain the patch in contact with the caul plate.

Abstract: The disclosure provides in one embodiment a method of promoting adhesion on a composite surface. The method comprises providing a composite structure having at least one composite surface to be bonded. The method further comprises preparing the at least one composite surface. The method further comprises providing a chemical derivatization compound containing active functional groups that promote adhesion. The method further comprises depositing the chemical derivatization compound on the prepared composite surface to form a functional group-adhesive promoter derivatized layer. The method further comprises applying an adhesive layer to the derivatized layer. The method further comprises heat curing the adhesive layer to result in a bond with another structure made of a composite, a metal, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A bond surface testing apparatus includes a solution chamber; a plurality of solutions in the solution chamber, the solution chamber adapted to dispense the solutions onto a bonding surface; an information capture module carried by the solution chamber and adapted to capture information relating to bonding surface properties of the bonding surface; at least one analysis module interfacing with the information capture module and adapted to analyze the bonding surface properties of the bonding surface; and a structural wettability factor prediction module interfacing with the at least one analysis module and adapted to predict a structural wettability factor based on the bonding surface properties.

Abstract: A method of processing a patch includes mounting the patch on a surface of a caul plate having at least one suction hole, and drawing a vacuum through the suction hole to maintain the patch in contact with the caul plate.

Abstract: A tool comprises a caul plate having at least one suction hole and a vacuum port fluidly coupled to the suction hole for drawing a patch against the caul plate under vacuum.

Abstract: The condition of a bond surface is determined. A 3-D wettability tension curve is generated for the bond surface which represents a range of possible wettings of an adhesive on the bond surface that may result in a bond joint of acceptable quality. At least three surface energies on the bond surface are measured, and the wettability curve is used to determine whether the condition of the bond surface is acceptable based on the measured bonding surface energies.

Abstract: The disclosure provides in one embodiment a method of promoting adhesion on a composite surface. The method comprises providing a composite structure having at least one composite surface to be bonded. The method further comprises preparing the at least one composite surface. The method further comprises providing a chemical derivatization compound containing active functional groups that promote adhesion. The method further comprises depositing the chemical derivatization compound on the prepared composite surface to form a functional group-adhesive promoter derivatized layer. The method further comprises applying an adhesive layer to the derivatized layer. The method further comprises heat curing the adhesive layer to result in a bond with another structure made of a composite, a metal, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: An in-situ double vacuum debulk (DVD) composite repair system designed to produce partially or fully cured autoclave-quality hot-bond composite repairs on contoured structures. The system provides vacuum pressure for hot bond repairs to be performed on flat and contoured structures using one set-up capable of debulking (partially curing) and then fully curing composite repairs on composite and metallic aircraft structures. The use of in-situ DVD also eliminates handling of the patch/adhesive when transferring from an off-aircraft DVD chamber to the repair site on the aircraft. This can increase the probability of successful repairs because the possibility of contaminating and misaligning the adhesive and repair patch are eliminated.

Abstract: A tool comprises a caul plate having at least one suction hole and a vacuum port fluidly coupled to the suction hole for drawing a patch against the caul plate under vacuum.