JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #61 - November/December 2010 - 34

How adhesives reduce emissions, minimize waste and improve recycling
Introduction
SALLY SINAI TECHNICAL MANAGER, ITW PLEXUS

Environmental conditions and anything that can affect issues such as global warming and heavy metals are gaining considerable attention from both consumers and regulatory agencies. The more governments and consumers become educated and aware, the more demanding they become for materials and processes that will address their environmental concerns. As a result, we see increased demands from these groups for improved technologies that will help reduce hazardous air and ground pollutants, whilst affording some level of reusability without sacrificing performance.
The use of structurally green adhesives
In order to facilitate this growing move away to lighter materials, designers had to identify an appropriate method of joining new and dissimilar materials. It was essential that the new joining method would be fast and easy to achieve. The resultant joints had to be strong and durable – at least on a par with the performance of welding and other traditional methods of joining steel components. This is where structural adhesives are helping make a big difference (Figure 1).
Fig.1 : Structural bonding for light weight and durable components © iStock

FEATURE “Automotive”

ltimately, it is up to both manufacturers and suppliers to develop and implement products that meet new criteria imposed on all industries, while helping to come up with more green products. Reactive structural adhesives such as methylmethacrylate-based systems help composite structure manufacturers and assemblers reduce their emissions to negligible levels when compared with other traditional joining methods, while providing a degree of regrindability for recycling. This paper compares various joining methods, showing their ability to provide a greener solution for the environment while still providing endusers with efficient and durable structural joints.

As the trend in the market place is green, green, green, manufacturers are looking for new and innovative ways to reduce emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The automotive market is without exception.

Since 1990, some reports suggest that the replacement of automotive steel has avoided burning more than 22.2 billion gallons of fuel globally - an astonishing figure by any measure. Furthermore, it has been estimated that this ongoing move to lighter materials by the automotive industry will cut the world’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

jec composites magazine / No61 November - December 2010

The different joining methods currently used on these alternative materials are glass tabbing, putties, bolts, rivets and structural adhesives. The latter are used either as single part moisture cure systems or as two-part reactive cure systems. The benefits of using a structural adhesive are many for the customer. They offer continued advances in technology, cost savings in labour and capital investment – and they distribute stress and load over a wider area. The correct adhesive choice is critical and factors which should be considered include VOC content, surface preparation, working and fixture times, requirements of the application and dynamic fatigue resistance.

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #61 - November/December 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #61 - November/December 2010