Tailor-made high-performance adhesives and polymers for industrial applications, construction and circular economy

Problem

• Many industrial applications require highly specific adhesive properties that standard commercial formulations cannot provide.
• Sectors such as automotive, construction, wood-based materials and additive manufacturing demand improved adhesion, stability and mechanical performance.
• There is a growing need for sustainable adhesive solutions, including the reuse of polymer waste.

Proposed Solution

• Development of custom-designed polymers and adhesives, tailored to the final application.
• A full development approach including synthesis, material characterization and validation under real operating conditions.
• Integration of recycled polyurethane feedstocks obtained through depolymerization processes, supporting circular economy strategies.

Applications

• Structural adhesives for automotive applications (e.g. vehicle roofs).
• Insulation panels and construction solutions (XPS, building components).
• Wood-based panels and engineered wood products.
• Additive manufacturing / 3D printing (adhesives for nylon, PP, etc.).
• Development of new adhesive products with recycled content.

New and innovative aspects

• Fully tailor-made adhesives design based on application requirements.
• Polyurethane adhesives validated in real industrial environments.
• Specific adhesives for 3D printing, expanding bonding options in additive manufacturing.
• Chemical recycling of polyurethane waste via aminolysis.
• True integration of circular economy principles into high-performance adhesive development.

Main advantages of its use

• Application-specific solutions with optimized performance.
• Improved mechanical properties, adhesion and durability.
• Reduced industrial validation risks and development times.
• Incorporation of recycled raw materials without performance loss.
• Competitive advantage through differentiated and sustainable products.

Specifications

• Material types: polyurethane adhesives and foams, urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins, 3D printing adhesives.
• Processes: polymer synthesis, advanced formulation, physical-chemical and mechanical characterization, functional validation.
• Circular economy: PU depolymerization by aminolysis and reuse of resulting building blocks.
• Development status: from advanced prototypes to commercially available products, depending on application.

Desired business relationship

Commercial Agreement, License Agreement, Technical Cooperation: further development; Technical Cooperation: testing new applications; Technical Cooperation: adaptation to specific needs.

Expected role of the partner:

Type of partner: Industrial company interested in high-performance adhesives, advanced polymer materials, automotive, construction, wood-based materials, additive manufacturing or polymer recycling.

Role of the partner: Co-development of formulations, definition of technical requirements, industrial validation, process scale-up and adaptation of the adhesive to specific market needs