Exchanging thoughts and ideas between researchers and industry professionals.

Research Asks

Interested in building relationships with the adhesives and coatings industry? Looking for feedback and guidance from companies?

Get out of the Lab!

Universities know that some problems can’t be solved in isolation in a lab, and industry feedback is key to taking an invention or product from conception to market.

At the same time universities are pushing boundaries and leading science – industry wants to get in on the ground level. Companies who are aligned with early-stage research see early signals of what’s going to be the next big opportunity, and they get a head start on the competition.

adhesives+coatings is active in the adhesives and coatings industry. We have connections with many big and small companies, both end-users and suppliers. We offer the opportunity to universities and their research staff, to connect with the industry. This to establish and maintain solid university and industry collaboration.

University-industry collaboration is instrumental in fortifying the ability of the universities to undertake high-quality research and enhance the capability of the firms to compete globally.

Are you looking for a mutually beneficial partnership with the industry? We’re happy to help you and connect you. In the end, it’s all about making connections with people. It’s not companies and universities that make great relationships; it’s the people at companies and the people at universities.


Mixing denim cotton and glue

Students at a Fashion Institute are working on a project to develop products out of fabric scraps. Like for instance bricks that can be used in a facade in store interiors, and many other products. This is done by mixing fabric scraps (denim-made from cotton) and glues/binders. The scraps are sourced from denim manufacturers.

The glue they are looking for should be eco-friendly, non-toxic and should be developed without harm to the environment. So no PVA or anything with Formaldehyde. The need is a “bio-based/soy based/eco friendly” glue that shall bond the fabric scraps together, and harden as solid.

Please contact us if you’re a supplier of this specific glue. In particular if you’re located in or export to India.


Biodegradable microfluidic devices

Research staff at an US University has been partnering with a start-up company to commercialize one of their inventions. They are currently prototyping the product. 

They are making biodegradable microfluidic devices. They now have a bottom microfluidic layer made of a type of copolyester, and a transparent top layer made of PVDC coadded cellulose. These are both industrial compostable materials. They’ve been trying different ways to bond them together but none of them work.

Are you aware of any available biodegradable adhesives that would work for our application? Please contact us.


Soluble tape or adhesive

A University Lab in Florida is working on a project to monitor potential airborne forest pathogens that can affect pine trees. They are developing a DNA-based test to detect fungal spores of different pathogens, like Fusarium circinatum, which causes pitch canker disease in pine. They are using in-house 3D printed spore traps that they deploy in the field. The spore traps have an adhesive where airborne spores are collected and then they extract DNA to detect their pathogen of interest using specific molecular tests. 

They have been testing different household adhesive membranes, like packing tape but their main roadblock is removing the spores from the adhesive. Ideally, they would like to find a tape that can be easily dissolved or an adhesive that can be easily peeled off but that can withstand the elements like sun, rain, hot Florida temperatures, etc. They would also like it to disintegrate in a lab setting, for example, that can be dissolved in hot water or an organic solvent. That way they can put the entire sample in a tube, dissolve it and extract DNA out of if without losing any of their sample. 

If you have a product that meets these criteria and you would like this Lab to test it, please contact us.

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