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Image: Interior of a possible Hyperloop pod; Copyright: THL

High-performance adhesive for the transportation systems of the future

08.05.2024

When you sit on a train, you probably rarely realize how much technology and expertise from a wide range of industries has gone into its creation. The materials used are diverse. The various elements are joined together into a whole by welding, screwing, riveting, bolting and now, increasingly, gluing. New adhesives are opening up many possibilities in design and performance improvements.
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Image: Large accumulation of PET bottles to be recycled in a warehouse; Copyright: Krones AG

Making the impossible possible: Recycling multilayer packaging

13.09.2023

Was multilayer packaging the Achilles' heel of the recycling industry? Not anymore, according to Krones and their project partners BASF, Südpack, and Tomra. Together, they're unveiling a solution that accomplishes what was once deemed impossible. At the heart of this innovation is a new adhesive that enables effective material separation during the recycling process.
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Image: Various nuts and seeds in transparent plastic packaging in a carton; Copyright: Olena_Mykhaylova

Collaboration project shows: multi-layer packaging can be separated and recycled on an industrial scale

08.06.2023

A Collaboration project involving BASF, Krones, SÜDPACK, and TOMRA gives proof of concept for closed recycling loop for PET-based multi-layer packaging.
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Image: A rotor blade is transported by truck on the road; Copyright: Covestro

Renewable energies: Bringing wind power forward with PU resins

26.05.2023

At Covestro's Wind Technology Center, research is being conducted into making wind technology more efficient. To do this, a close look is taken at wind turbines – where are opportunities to use special materials that drive renewable energy? The big goal behind it: Climate neutrality and a circular economy.
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Image: Robots at work in the Automated Lab of the Henkel Inspiration Center; Copyright: Henkel AG

Automated Lab: Robots optimise adhesive development

10.05.2023

Robots already take over a large number of monotonous, repetitive tasks today – freeing up time and resources for creative and more exciting tasks. Henkel is also automating work steps in its new Inspiration Center Düsseldorf (ICD). In a data-driven laboratory, new adhesive formulations are automatically prepared and tested around the clock.
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Image: Football player jumping up to kick a football; Copyright: LightFieldStudios

Bend it like PU – Plastics in sport

30.11.2022

Today, no one can imagine leather balls, wooden rackets, bamboo poles or cinder tracks in sporting competition. Natural materials have now been almost completely replaced by other materials: plastics. They are light, robust and highly functional. Thanks to intensive research, they are also becoming more and more efficient – and ultimately lead to new world records.
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Photo: Numerous compressed plastic water bottles mainly in the color blue; Copyright: globetrotter_

Recycled PET bottles are turned into adhesive tapes

26.10.2022

The company tesa® supports the field of sustainability. The new tesa® 60412 packaging tape has a backing made of 70% recycled PET and a water-based acrylate adhesive system. The production process is completely solvent-free. Used PET products are recycled and used as raw material for the backing material.
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Image: cutout of a confectionery factory employee wearing blue gloves. In front of him a sealing box with packaging film; Copyright: seventyfourimages

Innovative technology makes flexible packaging recyclable

03.10.2022

A new technology from Covestro weakens the bond strength of PU adhesives. Laminated films in multilayer packaging can be separated after use and the individual materials can be recycled later. At the K 2022 trade fair, the team will be presenting the technology to the plastics industry for the first time.
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New lignin based material to replace fossil plastics and adhesives

01.02.2022

Researchers at Stockholm University have developed a resource-efficient method to produce new lignin-based materials that can be thermally reprocessed and used to substitute thermosetting resins and adhesives.
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Self-healing 3D printed plastic can repair itself by using only light

20.01.2022

Research by UNSW academics shows that special treatment of liquid resin used in 3D printing can cause the material to mend itself if it becomes damaged.
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Simple thermoset plastic recycling using a peptide solution

25.10.2021

Epoxy resin is a type of thermoset resin commonly used in glue, paint and composite materials. NIMS and ISMA have developed a new thermoset plastic recycling system capable of easily decomposing epoxy resins in an aqueous solution of a naturally derived peptide.
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New tool to predict polymer properties

15.09.2021

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a powerful mathematical modelling tool that will allow researchers to predict the properties of polymer networks before they are even created.
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