FEATURE

By Marni Ellery, UC Berkeley

In 2024, readers used ASI’s multiple information platforms to learn the latest in industry news, raw materials and chemicals, and new products.

As 2024 comes to an end, we are once again reviewing the most-read content featured in ASI during the year. Readers continue to look to ASI for the latest information about the adhesives and sealants industry. For a review of major events in our industry in 2024, ASI is featuring the most popular news, feature articles, product reviews, and podcasts of the year. Below is a list of the content of highest interest to readers during 2024*.

Continuing the trend from years past, readers in 2024 were most interested in our article outlining the top adhesive and sealant manufacturers, "2024 ASI Top 20: Leading Global Manufacturers of Adhesives and Sealants." Other feature articles that interested our readers included articles to help manufacturers harness new technology to create innovative adhesive and sealant formulations, information for end-users outlining the benefits of the newest adhesive products, and articles about raw materials and chemicals available to help formulators answer customers’ most pressing needs. Below is a list of the top feature articles of the year:

• Using the Power of AI for Adhesive and Sealant Formulation
• 3M Continues History of Innovating for The Future
• How Formulation and Coating Method Impact UV HMPSAs
• Ancient Adhesive Discovered on Neanderthal Tools
• ISO/ASME Compliant Composite Pipe Repair System
• PFAS-Free Universal Primer for Low-Surface-Energy Polymers
• Reversible Glue and Customizable Bio-Adhesive Patches: The Latest Adhesion Science
• Investigation of Additives for MDI-based Composite and Binder Applications
• Adhesive and Sealant Raw Materials Roundup

Acquisitions from major adhesive and sealant manufacturers dominated the news coverage in 2024, accounting for six of the 10 most-read news stories of the year. Market information, including the latest market reports and updates on the financial results of major industry players also interested readers. The news item drawing the most interest in 2024 was H.B. Fuller Co.'s announcement in May that the company had acquired ND Industries Inc., a leading provider of specialty adhesives and fastener locking and sealing solutions that serves customers in the automotive, electronics, and aerospace industries.

Other major news stories in 2024 include:

• Henkel Strengthens Adhesive Technologies Business with Strategic Acquisition
• Report Predicts Growth in Global Specialty Adhesives Market
• 3M Releases Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2023 Financial Results
• H.B. Fuller Buys UK Manufacturer of Butyl Tapes
• Saint-Gobain to Acquire OVNIVER Group
• Arkema Names VP of Bostik's Construction & Consumer Business Line
• Arkema Buys Laminating Adhesives Business from Dow
• Henkel Closes Acquisition of Seal for Life
• PPG Sells Architectural Coatings US and Canada Business

Readers depend on ASI to stay up to date on the latest finished products, raw materials, and equipment that are driving productivity and innovation. In 2024, the product announcement that garnered the most interest was a roofing underlayment introduced by DuPont. The peel-and-stick underlayment is designed to provide high-performance, high-temperature, and UV resistance along with a slip-resistant walking surface. Other products that caught readers’ attention in 2024 include the following:

• A new hybrid construction adhesive from DAP
• Bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane resins for hot-melt adhesives from Lubrizol
• Two new aerospace adhesives from PPG
• An adhesive tape for EV battery insulation from Avery Dennison

The Bonding with ASI podcast provides another source of information for readers. Posted monthly, this podcast offers listeners information about the latest events and technologies in the industry. It is available in an on-the-go format that allows readers to access information at their convenience. The podcast that received the most downloads in 2024 was posted back in January when Scott Sommers, vice president of Insights and Innovation at Shurtape Technologies LLC, sat down with ASI to discuss innovation drivers in the tape industry. The podcast is titled Innovation Drivers in the Tape Industry. The following podcasts were the other most downloaded podcasts for 2024:

• UV HMPSA Evolution – from Novelty to Specialty PSA of Choice, by Bostik
• What to Expect at ASC’s 2024 Convention & EXPO, with ASC President Bill Allmond
• AI and the Future of Business, with economist Bill Conerly
• Sustainability Drives Innovation at Arkema, with Yohann Trang, global market director for construction materials at Arkema.