Essen, Germany – A new adhesive concept from Evonik is designed to improve their sustainability. The idea behind “Debonding on Demand” is to make adhesives easier to remove for recycling and repair. It was unveiled at the recent European Coatings Show in Nuremberg.
The technology was created in a collaboration between Creavis, the company’s strategic innovation and business incubator, and polyurethane experts from its comfort & insulation business line.
While adhesives are essential for modern manufacturing because they allow efficient assembly, lightweight construction, and the bonding of diverse materials. However, traditional adhesives can pose challenges when looking to repair or recycle bonded components.
The debonding on demand technology addresses this by basing the adhesive on reversible or cleavable covalent bonds. It will complement existing thermal debonding technologies, including stretch-and-detach and electric debonding, the company said, and has the potential to transform the circular economy by making product disassembly and recycling more efficient.
It is compatible with existing adhesive technologies, including polyurethanes, and therefore can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes. It has low viscosity, with a flexible range of debonding temperatures, between 80°C and 150°C. It is also compatible with both 1K and 2K adhesive systems.
“Despite the growing demand for debondable adhesives, to date there have been limited effective solutions available in the market to make disassembling material parts easier,” said Nicolai Kolb, business development manager at Creavis. “Evonik is committed to leading the way in adhesive innovation and our new approach is a positive step forward in developing more sustainable adhesive solutions that align with the principles of the circular economy.”
Evonik is now collaborating with several players in the adhesive market to prepare market demonstrators. Initial proof-of-concept trials have shown promising results, with significant loss of cohesive strength being achieved after heat treatment.
“The development of this breakthrough technology is particularly timely, as regulatory pressures and sustainability concerns continue to shape the adhesive market,” said Christian Brandl, technology manager for advanced polyurethanes in the Evonik’s comfort & insulation business. “We are excited by the potential of our new debonding on demand concept to meet these regulatory requirements by offering significant advantages in terms of material recovery, waste reduction, and product longevity.”
