Evonik Unveils Debonding on Demand at European Coatings Show

Evonik has developed a breakthrough "debonding on demand" concept to meet the growing requirements of today's manufacturing industry to increase circularity by improving the sustainability of adhesives. The innovation was introduced at the European Coatings Show, which took place March 25-27 in Nuremberg, Germany. Developed in collaboration between Evonik's strategic innovation unit and business incubator, Creavis, and advanced polyurethane experts from the Comfort & Insulation business line, this innovative technology aims to address the pressing need for adhesives that can be easily removed for recycling and repair.

Adhesives are essential for modern manufacturing because they allow for efficient assembly, bonding of diverse materials, and lightweight construction. However, traditional adhesives can present challenges when it comes to the repair and recycling of bonded components. Evonik's innovative debonding on demand technology addresses these challenges by leveraging reversible or cleavable covalent bonds as the foundation of the chemical network, ensuring economic viability and operational efficiency. This new development is highly applicable and will complement existing thermal debonding technologies, such as stretch-and-detach or electric debonding, making it an attractive option for a wide range of industries. It has the potential to transform the circular economy by making the disassembly and recycling of products easier and more efficient.