This first installment of a two-part series highlights the value proposition of today's adhesive chemistries and curing methods to high-value end-use markets.
Hybrid adhesives have evolved to meet the bonding requirements for assembling today’s consumer products in the U.S. electronics and flooring industries. Flooring, including luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and planks, carpet tiles, and ceramic tiles, is growing in popularity in the big box retail channel (see Figure 11). According to a recent report, the domestic carpet market reached 11.5 billion sq ft in 2018, valued at $11.7 billion, while the LVT market (including gluedown, loose lay, and rigid core) was 2.7 billion sq ft valued at $3.4 billion.2 Builders can replace expensive stone with vinyl flooring embossed with images to produce an authentic-looking stone floor; a UV-curable system imparts either a flat or glossy finish to these surfaces.
Increasing the automation speed for modern flooring offers a significant (cost-reducing) advantage. The conventional curing method for waterborne material required several ovens to ensure a uniform cure. Replacing energy-intensive baking with UV light produced a simplified, cleaner cure in 1-5 sec.