What Does
Cure Time Mean?
Cure time refers to the length of time needed for something to fully cure. Many substances need cure time to fully cure. Examples are: epoxies, glues, resins, concrete, etc.
In a rubber compound, cure time is the length of time to reach optimum viscosity or modulus at a certain temperature. In an adhesive, it is the amount of time required for an adhesive to cure fully. If an adhesive is not fully cured, the bond will fail.
Cure time is very useful for checking the substance's durability.
Corrosionpedia Explains Cure Time
Cure time is the time that determines how long things take to fully cure. A series of chemical reactions occurs during cure time. These chemical reactions allow things to set, harden and develop traits. It may take weeks, months or years. Many factors have an impact on the curing time of a product. When determining the cure time, these factors need to be considered.
Concrete is hardened over time until it reaches the end point. The time needed to reach the end point is "cure time". Concrete that is moisture cured for seven days is about 50% stronger than uncured concrete. In improper curing, the finished material will lack strength and hardness that causes it to be prone to fractures and brittle. The heat and ambient moisture affect the concrete curing. Hot weather weakens the concrete during the curing time.
The cure time is longer than drying time. For example, paint can feel dry to the touch within an hour, but it usually takes 3–4 weeks to fully cure. So paint dry and paint cure are not same thing. When the solvents evaporate from the coating, paint dry occurs; when the paint coating has reached its maximum hardness and is completely 100% dry, paint cure occurs.
The heat and moisture also have an effect on curing times of other materials. In muggy weather, the paint takes longer to cure. Pressure and volume also have an effect on cure time. All these factors change the length of cure time of a material.