3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Structural Adhesive Film AF 163-2 OST Version

Harmonization Code : 3506.91.90.99 | Prepared glues and other prepared adhesives, not elsewhere specified or included; products suitable for use as glues or adhesives, put up for retail sale as glues or adhesives, not exceeding a net weight of 1 kg ; Adhesives based on polymers of headings 3901 to 3913 or on rubber; Other ; Other

3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Structural Adhesive Film AF 163-2 OST Version

Main features

  • High Structural Bond Strength
  • High Fracture Toughness and Peel Strength
  • Low-Pressure and Vacuum Curing

Product Description

3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Structural Adhesive Film AF 163-2 is a family of thermosetting, modified epoxy structural adhesives supplied in film form with multiple weights and carrier options. Designed for solid-panel and honeycomb sandwich construction, the adhesive combines high bond strength across temperatures from -67°F to 250°F with high fracture toughness, peel strength, and resistance to high-moisture environments before and after cure. It supports low-pressure and vacuum curing and is X-ray opaque for use with X-ray nondestructive inspection methods.

Key Features

  • Wide-temperature bond performance: Provides high bond strength from -67°F to 250°F.
  • High toughness and peel strength: Formulated for structural assemblies requiring resistance to fracture and peeling forces.
  • Moisture-resistant performance: Maintains resistance to high-moisture environments before and after curing.
  • Flexible processing: Supports low-pressure bonding, vacuum curing, and a 90-minute cure at 225°F.
  • X-ray opaque: Enables inspection using X-ray nondestructive inspection methods.

Applications / Suitable for

  • Solid-panel structural bonding
  • Honeycomb sandwich construction
  • Metal-to-metal structural bonding
  • Metal-to-honeycomb structural assemblies
  • Bonding aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, and epoxy fiber-reinforced plastic under documented preparation and cure conditions
Product Family

3M AF 163-2 OST

Loading pricing…
TDS, SDS & Technical Documents

Technical Specifications

Thermal Properties
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)
The glass transition temperature for organic adhesives is a temperature region where the polymers change from glassy and brittle to soft and rubbery. Increasing the temperature further continues the softening process as the viscosity drops too. Temperatures between the glass transition temperature and below the decomposition point of the adhesive are the best region for bonding. The glass-transition temperature Tg of a material characterizes the range of temperatures over which this glass transition occurs.
108 °C
Thermal Conductivity
Thermal conductivity describes the ability of a material to conduct heat. It is required by power packages in order to dissipate heat and maintain stable electrical performance. Thermal conductivity units are [W/(m K)] in the SI system and [Btu/(hr ft °F)] in the Imperial system.
0.166 W/m.K
Electrical Properties
Dielectric Strength
Dielectric strength is measured in kV per mm and is calculated by the Breakdown voltage divided by the thickness of the tested material. Those two properties go hand in hand and while Breakdown voltage is always thickness dependent, dielectric strength is a general material property. As an example, the dielectric strength of Polyimide is 236 kV/mm. If we place 1mm of Polyimide between two electrodes, it will act as an insulator until the voltage between the electrodes reaches 236 kV. At this point it will start acting as a good conductor, causing sparks, potential punctures and current flow.
18 kV/mm
Volume Resistivity
Volume resistivity, also called volume resistance, bulk resistance or bulk resistivity is a thickness dependent measurement of the resistivity of a material perpendicular to the plane of the surface.
4.4 x 10^14 Ohms⋅cm

Additional Information

Technical properties

As-supplied / before-processing properties

Available film constructions, nominal weights, colors, thicknesses, and documented storage conditions. Available configurations vary by carrier type and product designation.

Property Value Unit Method / condition
Adhesive type Thermosetting modified epoxy structural adhesive film — As supplied
Nominal film weight 0.015–0.100 lb/ft² Depends on AF 163-2 construction; nominal tolerance ±0.005 lb/ft²
Nominal thickness 2.5–16 mil Depends on film weight and carrier construction
Available colors Pink, yellow, red, blue, or green — Depends on product construction and film weight
Carrier options Fiberglass scrim, knit, lightweight nonwoven, nonwoven, one-side-tacky nonwoven, or unsupported — G, K, L, M, OST, and U designations
Recommended cold-storage temperature 0 or below °F Recommended for maximum storage life
Standard shelf life 12 months Stored at 0°F or below
Out-of-cold-storage allowance 20 days 80°F maximum without adversely affecting performance

 

Technical properties

After-processing / final-state properties

Representative cured-film properties. Values are typical and depend on the selected film construction, substrate preparation, primer, cure cycle, pressure, heating rate, and test conditions.

Property Value Unit Method / condition
Ultimate tensile strength 11,000 at -67°F; 7,000 at 75°F; 3,000 at 180°F psi ASTM D638; unsupported free film, cured 60 minutes at 250°F
Tensile modulus 2.3 × 105 at -67°F; 1.6 × 105 at 75°F; 6 × 104 at 180°F psi ASTM D638; unsupported free film, cured 60 minutes at 250°F
Glass-transition temperature, dry 226 (108) °F (°C) DuPont 1090 DMA; 5°C/min ramp; cured 90 minutes at 235°F
Glass-transition temperature, wet 180 (82) °F (°C) DuPont 1090 DMA; after 14 days in 70°C water; 5°C/min ramp; cured 90 minutes at 235°F
Thermal conductivity 0.096 BTU·ft/(ft²·hr·°F) ASTM C177 at 43°C; cured 90 minutes at 235°F
Coefficient of thermal expansion 90 × 10-6 in/in/°C TMA at 5°C/min, -30°C to 50°C; cured 90 minutes at 235°F
Volume resistivity 4.4 × 1014 Ω·cm ASTM D257; cured 90 minutes at 235°F
Dielectric strength 1,800 V/mil ASTM D149; 1 kHz at 75°F (23°C); cured 90 minutes at 235°F

 

Leading Brands Trust in Our Products and Services

Products that Perform| Knowledge that Serves| Service that Delivers