Adhesives & Sealants Industry Top Stories

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As the corrugating industry’s workhorse, adhesives are diverse and cover a wide range of chemistries, forms, applications, and necessities. Packaging itself varies from heat-sealed polymers to plastics, foils, and paperboard.

Adhesives and sealants have a long history in shipbuilding and marine industries, providing protection against water, chemicals, weather, and environmental degradation. In the earliest days of seafaring, natural sealants such as pine resins were cooked down and applied liberally, requiring regular re-treatments. 

Consumer sentiment continues to drive sustainability throughout the economy and society. Consumers often view packaging as wasteful, and they demand more sustainable options as a result. Many terms, such as reuse, recycle, compost, and reduction, resonate positively with consumers.

Manufacturers and scientists are continually pushing the envelope on eco-friendly adhesives, sealants, coatings, and potting and encapsulation compounds. Demand for green and sustainable formulations is expected to keep growing due to tightening legislation, consumer awareness, and new opportunities.

Currently, mastic is available to commercial and DIY consumers primarily in squeeze tubes and 10-oz cartridges. Although the sausage packaging format exists as an alternative, in a 20-oz size and a smaller “mini” option (2-3.5 oz), its availability is limited—as a stroll down the sealant aisle of Home Depot or Lowes will confirm.

By 2050, the United Nations expects the global population to reach approximately 9.5 billion people. The expectations are that millions of people will be lifted out of poverty, increasing living standards and driving demand for chemical products.

Our August issue is chock-full of annual offerings and focused content to help you and your business succeed. This issue of ASI brings you our annual Distributor Directory, as well as the ever-popular ASI Top 20 listing of the world’s leading adhesives and sealants manufacturers.

The wide use of dissimilar substrate materials driving the selection of sealants was reported in The Adhesive and Sealant Council’s “2017-2020 North American Market Report for Adhesives and Sealants with a Global Overview.”

Our annual ASI Top 20 details the leading worldwide manufacturers of adhesives and sealants. We targeted sales figures (and other details) for finished adhesives and sealants, as well as related products such as tapes, to develop the ranking.