Plain English Meaning
A modern type of glue used in composite aircraft parts. Plain epoxy is strong but cracks easily, so it has been improved with additives that make it less brittle and better at handling bumps, vibration, and impacts.
Full Definition
A type of epoxy adhesive used in modern composite aircraft construction that has been chemically modified to resist cracking and impact damage. Standard epoxy resin is strong but brittle, so manufacturers add toughening agents (such as small rubber particles or thermoplastic additives) that absorb energy when the material is struck or stressed. The result is a resin system that bonds the fibers of a composite together while also resisting the small cracks and delaminations that brittle resins are prone to.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of aircraft composite materials, especially when comparing the and damage of different resins used in .