Researchers in Switzerland are showing promising results for tannins extracted from native tree bark becoming a renewable alternative in producing adhesives and composite materials.
Sustainability has become a key driver for the adhesives industry. Once considered a “nice to have” feature, sustainability is increasingly valued by both adhesive producers and end users. In addition, regulations calling for safer, cleaner materials, especially in Europe, are driving the demand for more environmentally friendly products.
When it comes to underwater adhesion, shellfish are the true experts. Mussels, barnacles and oysters attach to rocks with apparent ease. Yet our man-made glues often fail when trying to stick in wet environments. “Our current adhesives are terrible at wet bonding, yet marine biology solved this problem eons ago,” said Jonathan Wilker, a professor of chemistry and materials engineering at Purdue University.
Is your company the next Blockbuster? Not a blockbuster hit, but Blockbuster, the company that owned the video rental market until it was upended by an innovative competitor, Netflix. One thing is for certain: If your company isn’t innovating, all of its products or services eventually become commodities. Or they’re toppled by the next Netflix.
Today’s environmentally conscious consumer does more than just buy organic, fair-trade groceries and recycle newspapers and glass containers. Now, consumers research the everyday items they buy in the same way as big-ticket purchases like TVs or cars, to make sure they are both high-quality products and good for the environment.
Increasing energy efficiency continues to be the most common method of improving the performance of a green home, followed by creating a healthy indoor living environment.
October 17, 2017
Green construction is rapidly gaining traction among both single- and multi-family home builders, according to the latest in a series of studies conducted by Dodge Data & Analytics in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Researchers are looking at leftover straw from the large amounts of wheat that is currently left unused on European farms to use in the development of greener biochemical.
The European Innovation Award was created by The Society of Plastics Engineers and Plastics Europe in hopes to raise awareness about the potential of plastic materials.