Structural adhesives are displacing mechanical fasteners, welding and even tape in some fastening applications. According to practitioners, the profile of reactive chemistry primarily comprises polyurethane, acrylic and epoxy resins, and reactive hot-melt technology for structural applications (albeit no water-based chemistry).
Market leaders are forecasting structural adhesives’ annual volume growth well above U.S. gross domestic product in key markets such as transportation and original equipment manufacturing (OEM)/product assembly through 2020. The latter market is complex and fragmented with respect to the use of structural adhesives; those unmet market needs are driving innovation and growth.1