>> Karen Parker, editor-in-chief
FROM THE EDITOR
Susan Sutton served as Editor-in-Chief, Integrated Media, of ASI magazine for many years. If you wish to send a letter to the editor, please contact Tom Fowler at fowlert@bnpmedia.com. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
Future-Ready Technologies: Breakthroughs in Recycling, Biobased Materials, and Polymer Science
It is the middle of November as I write this column, and I am wondering how Thanksgiving is next week, and I seem to have missed autumn as I slide into December. As we approach the end of 2025, it’s a good time to reflect on some technological breakthroughs in the adhesives and sealants industry. For this column, I am sharing some interesting research within the adhesives and sealants field that I found recently.
Scientists at Toyota have published a study in Scientific Reports that outlines how they developed dismantable adhesives using meltable metal-organic frameworks and coordination polymers (MOFs/CPs). The scientists created several adhesive formulations, synthesizing, melting, and applying three MOF/CP materials to copper substrates and then analyzing their shear bonding strength. They found that among these materials, [Zn(HPO4)(H2PO4)2](H2Im)2 (ZPI) exhibited the highest shear strength, proving to be suitable as a structural adhesive. When the bonded structures were immersed in water at room temperature for one hour, the bond strength significantly decreased and allowed disassembly by hand. The research demonstrates the potential of manual disassembly, which will make recycling of products that are constructed by bonding various dissimilar materials into composite structures. The research by the Toyota scientists is significant because it presents a practical and safer disassembly method that does not include the need for heat or solvents.
A study conducted by researchers at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France and published in the journal Science describes a new method of recycling silicone waste that has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of sectors using the material. The new method is the first universal recycling process that brings any type of used silicone material back to an earlier state in its life cycle, where each molecule has only one silicon atom. And, because it is a chemical, as opposed to mechanical, recycling process, the reuse of the material has the potential to be done infinitely. Because the initial steps to produce silicone require large amounts of energy and generate significant CO₂ emissions, they represent one of the silicone industry’s most climate-intensive stages. The new chemical recycling method overcomes this challenge by regenerating (methyl)chlorosilanes directly, allowing them to be separated and purified using standard industrial processes. As a result, high-quality silicone can be produced repeatedly from recycled material without any loss of performance.
Another interesting story about polymer science comes out of UC Santa Barbara, where materials scientist Omar Saleh is conducting research to deepen our understanding of polymer behavior, specifically the nature of complex coacervates. Using a rare, nanometer-precision magnetic-tweezer instrumentation within his lab, researchers can take nanoscale measurements of microgel polymers and see the small changes in polymers under differing forces. Understanding how polymers in the microgel state bind could lead one day to the development of a new adhesive or surgical glue.
This issue of ASI features articles about technologies available to adhesive formulators who are looking to find new ways to make their products more sustainable. Scientists at Cardolite identify the utility of cashew nutshell liquid-based technology for electric vehicles (EV) battery packages. An article provided by Braskem explores how to incorporate polyethylene wax into hot-melt formulations for increased performance and sustainability. And we interviewed the CEO of Hexion to learn how the company is leveraging lignin to create plant-based adhesives. I hope you enjoy this issue of ASI, and as always, please reach out to me at parkerk@bnpmedia.com with your questions and comments.