Top 10 adhesive and sealant innovations in 2019

A look back at 2019 adhesive and sealant innovations

2019 has been an interesting year for the adhesives and sealants industry: many new and innovative products were introduced, numerous sectors experienced growth and new materials were discovered. These all show a certain direction to the industry: more sustainable and greener products and raw materials. To wrap up 2019, Adhesivesmag has created a list of top 10 adhesive and sealant innovations based on their readers´ choices. Also the top 10 list shows that biobased and hot melt adhesives are growing in popularity as green adhesive and sealant solutions.

Top 10 adhesive and sealant innovations in 2019 according to Adhesivesmag

The top 10 adhesive and sealant innovations list published by Adhesivesmag includes the following products and manufacturers. The original list is available on the website of Adhesivesmag.

Biobased hot melt adhesive by Jowat

Jowatherm® GROW biobased hotmelt adhesives were introduced by Jowat in the fall 2019. According to the manufacturer these adhesives are made for environmentally friendly bonding in packaging and they have a high content of renewable materials. In fact, the biobased materials reportedly account for over 30% of the formula.

These biobased hotmelt adhesives are a green option which increases efficiency and process cleanliness. They also increase safety during application and keep the machinery clean resulting in less need for maintenance. The precise application of these adhesives contributes to reduced waste.

Hot melt adhesives for consumer packaged goods by H.B. Fuller

Advantra Warrior™ is the newest addition to H.B. Fuller´s Advantra® line. According to the manufacturer it is versatile in many environments and case and carton sealing applications. Its unique polymer technology makes it resistant to temperature extremes, and therefore, suitable for packaging that may be exposed to freezer or heated conditions throughout the supply chain. This hot melt adhesive was introduced to the North American market in the summer 2019.

GLYMO free packaging adhesive by Henkel

Loctite Liofol LA 2798, introduced by Henkel in the summer 2019, is an adhesive suitable for high performance packaging involving for instance sterilization. This adhesive foil is entirely free of (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GLYMO), epoxy silane, and heavy metals. Additionally, the adhesive base does not contain substances such as neopentyl glycol (NPG), hexanediol, tin, and bisphenol A (BPA), making it safe for fatty foodstuffs, oily acids, and alcoholic substances.

Latex for pressure sensitive adhesives by Arkema

Arkema´s new ENCOR 9215 latex is a tackified acrylic adhesive formulated for high-speed coating. This latex is designed specially for labeling applications and it allows for high speed production. According to Arkema it is intended for permanent paper labels which require excellent adhesion to corrugated cardboard. It is suitable for a variety of machines and equipment, and it can be customized based on specific customer needs.

Adhesive recycling by Henkel

In 2019, Henkel announced that it goes on with the Recycling Program, realized together with TerraCycle. The big news last year was that additive manufacturing customers are now offered recycling options across the Loctite® brands. The cooperation of the two companies, according to Henkel, reflects their commitment to sustainability and their tradition of transforming manufacturing processes in numerous industries.

The Adhesive Recycling Program was reportedly the first in the world to offer recycling solutions for anaerobic packaging solutions. Later the options have become available for light cure adhesives, instant adhesives and cyanoacrylates, all used in packaging. Also 3D printing operations are provided with a recycling container where used packaging of 3D resins and cyanoacrylate based adhesives are collected to be later recycled by TerraCycle.

RFID blocking material by Avery Dennison

ShieldSense™ is the newest innovation by Avery Dennison Performance Tapes. ShieldSense is a RFID blocking material which is lightweight and easy to apply aluminum foil material. According to Avery Dennison, the foil allows retailers to maximize effectiveness of RFID enabled inventory systems by isolating waves within different environments.

ShieldDense can be applied to walls and doors creating a barrier that blocks RFID waves from traveling between locations such as from retail floor to stockroom. This will reportedly give retailers a clearer view of their inventory location within the store. The foil, therefore, allows for fast price adjustments, easy identification of inventory inaccuracies and stock replenishment.

Polyurethane sealant by Chemique Adhesives

In the beginning of 2019, Chemique Adhesives introduced its new polyurethane compound which is suitable for bonding and sealing applications in numerous industries including transport, construction, modular construction and commercial manufacturing.

According to Chemique Adhesives Bondseal 1128 uses a new advanced formulation which improves the rheology and lowers the isocyanate content for ease of application, slump resistance, and better product safety. The sealant is easy to apply using a standard cartridge caulking gun.

Silicone adhesive for transportation vehicle assembly by Dow

In 2019 Dow brought into the market a revolutionary silicone adhesive solution for transportation assembly. DOWSIL™ EA-4700 CV adhesive is capable of curing in room temperature at faster speed, yet it still maintains the performance advantages brought along by silicone adhesives. This adhesive adheres to most metals and plastics used in electronics assembly.

Pressure sensitive adhesive for medical sector by Ashland

Aroset™ Gentle 700, by Ashland, is a medical pressure sensitive adhesive which was introduced in February 2019. This medical adhesive was developed for medical use as it is skin friendly, has good breathability and keeps the pain and discomfort to the minimum upon removal. The product is suitable for both medical device industry and wound care applications.

Commercial vehicle tape by 3M

3M announced that their commercial vehicle product line expands by a new product: CV90F. The addition was to the 3M™ VHB™ commercial vehicle tape family. The new product reportedly provides a good balance of strength and conformability with gray multipurpose adhesive and conformable acrylic foam core. It also allows for use in applications that require higher gap tolerance and allowance for shear train movement due to thermal expansion.

The vehicle tape provides virtually invisible bonds and keeps the surface smooth. The product is recommended for tall side panels and bonding roof panels as it creates a permanent seal against water and moisture. Additionally, in high speeds it experiences 31% less vibration and is 40% quieter than sidewalls that use mechanical fasteners.

Other adhesives innovations of 2019

The innovations that ended up on the top 10 list are not the only inventions that deserve to be mentioned. 2019 was an interesting year for the adhesives market: innovations such as thermally conductive adhesive for heat generating components and a glue that debonds in magnetic fields were introduced. Additionally, research has shown improvements in light curing adhesive technology which may well result in innovations to be seen in 2020.

As for AdhesivePlatform, a platform dedicated for the North American market was launched to broaden the reach and connect supply and demand of adhesives and sealants also locally.