Adhesive and sealant manufacturers and end users are always looking for a competitive edge. Faced with a bewildering number of formulation choices and risk/reward tradeoffs, they can end up getting left behind as technologies advance, or make a technical or business mistake if they are too aggressive. There are literally hundreds of raw materials to choose from, a long process to validate and verify new ingredients, and precious little time for internally driven product development projects.

Acrylic adhesives offer the advantages of increased cost efficiencies, better aesthetics and improved impact resistance compared to other methods for the assembly of complex structures. Recently, new acrylic technology has been developed that offers superior lap-shear strength, high elongation and high bake resistance, as well as excellent failure mode across difficult-to-bond metal substrates. These “next-generation” acrylic adhesives are ideal for meeting the rigorous demands in various manufacturing and fabricating segments, including commercial vehicles, wind and energy equipment, and industrial equipment.

It sounds like you sell to several different markets. Although there is some overlap of silicone or polyurethane markets, they are often used in distinct applications.

LyondellBasell receives the European Innovation Award for its Koattro KT MR05 plastomer.

This weekly roundup highlights the adhesives, sealants and coatings news stories that garnered the most attention during the previous week on our website, as well as our eNewsletter and social media platforms.

Aerospace designers and manufacturers are forming partnerships with a variety of component fabricators along with universities and research groups to develop new designs.

The global specialty chemicals market is expected to reach $1.79 trillion by 2025, according to a recent report by Grand View Research Inc. The growing popularity of high-value chemicals that are crucial to developing novel products is reportedly a major driving factor for the industry.

The U.S. adhesives market reached $15.8 billion in 2016; sealants grew to $2.4 billion. Volume growth in each appears to be less than 2% from our interviews of industry participants. Figure 1 shows a breakdown of the U.S. market by end use in terms of value.

Top executives will gather at the Adhesive and Sealant Council’s 2017 Executive Leadership Conference, scheduled to take place October 16-18 at the Westin LaPaloma Resort and Spa in Tucson, Ariz. The event promises to be an opportunity to network and learn from thought leaders in the industry. Topics to be discussed include key chemical industry developments as these relate to the adhesives and sealants industry, acquisition integration, innovation trends, and more.