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Storage temperature for prepreg and film adhesives

Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) practice question 16 of 30 on Non-Metallic Structures. ACS element AM.II.B.K21 · difficulty: recall. Want to answer it in a timed quiz? Use the Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) practice mode.

Question bank updated 2026-09-22

QUESTIONWhere must prepreg material, film adhesive, and foaming adhesives be stored?

  1. AIn a refrigerator kept near 40 °F
  2. BIn a freezer at 0 °F or below
  3. CAt room temperature in a sealed bag
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. In a freezer at 0 °F or below

  • A — incorrect Refrigerators near 40 °F are used for laminating and paste adhesives, not for prepreg and film adhesives.
  • B — correct These materials are stored in a freezer below 0 °F, and the freezer must be capable of maintaining 0 °F or below.
  • C — incorrect Room temperature consumes the material's mechanical life; moisture-proof bags are used in addition to freezer storage, not instead of it.

BACKGROUND

Prepreg, film adhesive, and foaming adhesives are stored in a freezer at a temperature below 0 °F, and if they must be shipped they travel in special containers filled with dry ice. The freezer must not be an automatic defrost type, because the defrost cycle periodically warms the inside and can reduce shelf life and consume the allowable out-time. Refrigerators kept near 40 °F are used instead for laminating and paste adhesives. The maximum time a prepreg may be held in low-temperature storage is the storage life, typically 6 months to a year. The maximum time the material may spend at room temperature before it cures is the mechanical life, measured from removal from the freezer until it is returned.

STUDY TIP

Separate the three time terms: storage life is time in the freezer, mechanical life is total time out of it, and handling life is the shorter window for completing layup and compaction.

KEY POINTS

  • Prepreg and film adhesives are frozen below 0 °F, never in an auto-defrost unit.
  • Laminating and paste adhesives are refrigerated near 40 °F.
  • Material that exceeds its mechanical life must be discarded.

SOURCES

  • ama-airframe/ch07.txt "Prepreg" storage paragraphs
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SkyDrill is not affiliated with the FAA. This is an original practice item based on FAA-H-8083-31B Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook – Airframe, and 14 CFR part 43. Regulations and handbooks are revised; confirm details against the current edition.