The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) announced the winners of its annual Innovation Awards on November 5 during its 2020 Virtual Convention. The Innovation Awards recognize top innovations from the adhesive and sealant industry.
 
The primary award was presented to Brian K. Rearick, Ph.D., research manager for the Global Application Research Lab at PPG. The development from PPG was entitled “High Strength, Highly Ductile Structural Adhesive PR 2930.” 

“At our PPG research centers, we focus on bridging fundamental polymer properties with formulation and application sciences to produce high performing products,” said David Bem, PPG vice president, science and technology, and chief technology officer. “This award is a testament to our ongoing commitment to our global customers and our drive to achieve innovation excellence.”

The award-winning structural adhesive technology from PPG was reportedly developed to feature an unprecedented combination of strength and elongation in response to U.S. Army requests for disruptive adhesives capable of meeting armor technology needs. “We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory, which contributed to this important technological advancement,” said Daniel Sydes, PPG global product manager, aerospace adhesives. “This recognition validates our ability to provide cutting-edge innovations and technologies to help the U.S. military stay ahead of its adversaries.” 

The 1st Runner-Up award went to H.B. Fuller, with a development called “HBF-Ködispace 4SG, The superior warm edge spacer system reactive thermoplastic spacer (TPS) for use in insulating glass.” Wacker received the 2nd Runner-Up award for a development entitled “GENIOSIL XB 502 Silane-Modified Polymers for High-Performance Adhesives for use with strong bonding adhesives.”

The ASC reports that the judging panel reviewed submittal packages and took a number of factors into consideration when selecting the winning innovations:

• Science and Innovation (30%)
• Applicability & Impact (10%)
• Impact of the Technology Relative to the State of the Art (30%)
• Qualifications, Experience and Capabilities (20%)
• Significant Milestone (10%)

“We were pleased with the quality of the 30+ submittals for the 4th annual program in which we recognized unique developments for our industry,” said Steve Duren, ASC managing director. “We will improve and sharpen our program for 2021.Thank you to all that submitted in 2020 and the ASC Membership Committee for developing the program. Congratulations to H.B. Fuller and Wacker as runners up and PPG as our 1st place winner for the 2020 best innovations.”

For more information about the award-winning innovations, visit www.ppgaerospace.com, www.hbfuller.com, and www.wacker.com. The ASC is online at www.ascouncil.org.