Many room-temperature epoxies reach handling strength but stop short of full conversion. Heating them afterward, for example an hour or two at 60 to 120 C, drives the reaction further, raising Tg, strength at temperature and chemical resistance. Aerospace and electronics schedules often specify post-cure steps. Ramp rates are controlled to avoid stressing the joint.
Tg came in at 55 C without post-cure, after two hours at 80 it's up past 80.
Also heard as
- postcure
- post-bake
Related terms
Cure
The chemical reaction or physical change that turns a liquid adhesive into a solid that carries load.
Tg
Glass transition temperature, above which a cured adhesive turns from hard and glassy to soft and rubbery.
Epoxy
A thermoset adhesive cured by reacting epoxy resin with a hardener, the benchmark for strong, rigid structural bonds.
Film adhesive
A thin sheet of partly reacted epoxy on a carrier, laid into joints and cured with heat and pressure.