Cure
Cure turns up in 2 fields: adhesives, refractories. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Cure in adhesives
The chemical reaction or physical change that turns a liquid adhesive into a solid that carries load.
Reactive adhesives cure by crosslinking, triggered by mixing two parts, moisture, heat, light, absence of oxygen or surface chemistry. Non-reactive ones harden by losing water or solvent or by cooling. Engineers separate fixture, handling and full cure because strength keeps rising for hours or days after a part can be moved. Temperature speeds or slows nearly every cure, roughly doubling the rate for each 10 C rise.
"Parts can move after an hour, but no load testing until full cure, that's 24 hours at room temp."
Cure in refractories
To hold freshly placed castable moist and at moderate temperature so its cement can fully hydrate.
To let a placed castable set and gain strength before any heat-up, typically for at least 24 hours at roughly 15 to 30 C, kept from drying out. Below about 10 C the cement sets and gains strength slowly, and hot, windy conditions dry the surface too fast. Cure time and temperature are logged, because a poorly cured lining is prone to cracking and spalling during dry-out.
"Tarp it and keep the heaters on, it has to cure 24 hours above 15 C before we fire."