XlynX Materials Recognized for Innovation in Field of Adhesives
XlynX Materials' senior research scientist, Dr. Stefania Musolino, received the award at the 2023 ASC Convention and EXPO in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 18. (Image courtesy of XlynX Materials.)
XlynX Materials, a specialty chemical and materials company based in Victoria, Canada, has been recognized with an Innovation Award at the 2023 Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) Convention and EXPO in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The ASC Innovation Awards Program is designed to encourage innovation by recognizing significant impact chemistries that contribute to advancements in technology and address unmet needs in the adhesives and sealants industry. Past winners have included industry giants like DuPont, Dow, H.B. Fuller, PPG, Henkel, and Avery Dennison.
“As a start-up company, for us to be recognized alongside these established leaders, it’s quite amazing,” said XlynX’s senior research scientist, Dr. Stefania Musolino.
XlynX received the second runner-up award for its submission on the “Development of Universal Covalent Adhesives for Use with Low Surface Energy Polymers,” which describes how the company took inspiration from the field of chemical biology to solve long-standing materials science challenges.
Low Surface Energy (LSE) polymers are extraordinarily useful materials that are increasingly found at the forefront of technological innovation, from ropes and mechanical parts to performance textiles and medical devices. LSE polymers are relatively cheap to produce, can be molded to specific dimensions, and offer remarkable strength, durability, and resistance for lightweight materials. However, these same qualities result in LSE polymers being extremely resistant to adhesion, layering, coating, and dyeing applications, which limits how these materials are used.
In response to this challenge, XlynX Materials has developed a highly reactive suite of compounds that chemically insert themselves into unreactive polymer surfaces, transforming LSE polymers into materials that are no longer resistant to adhesion-based applications. This breakthrough “diazirine” technology is enabling the world’s most abundant polymers to be used in a host of new applications.
“I’m thrilled that we’ve been recognized for innovation, as this is something we pride ourselves on,” said Lead Inventor and Scientific Advisor, Dr. Jeremy Wulff. “We were first to develop a crosslinking molecular adhesive for this kind of use with commodity polymers, and we aim to remain a leader in this innovative field of diazirine chemistry.”
The new compounds, BondLynx and PlastiLynx, are easy to apply and are activated by either moderate heat or UV/Vis light. They are primarily designed as adhesives, primers, and textile strengtheners, and the results in these areas have been remarkable. In lap shear tests, the strength of bonds between LSE polymers has been increased by as much as 950% when primed with XlynX’s compounds first. Even more encouraging, the company’s products are showing potential in new applications like organic electronics stabilization, quantum dot photopatterning, and new composite material development.
To learn more, visit www.xlynxmaterials.com.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
