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reportFocus Report 2010: Adhesives&Sealants
4.9.6 Executive Summary (Adhesives&Sealants)
The objective of this report is to analyse the evolution of nanotechnology in the development of adhesives and sealants for the construction industry.
Adhesives and sealants are used in many industries to join or bond similar or different materials. Adhesives and sealants are based on the same chemistry but differ in their functionality. The main difference between adhesives and sealants is the modulus of elasticity; a sealant has a lower strength. Within the construction industry adhesives and sealants are used in applications as varied as carpet laying, ceramic tiling, concrete, countertop lamination, flooring underlay, drywall lamination, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, joint cements, manufactured housing, pre-finished panels, resilient flooring, roofing, and wall coverings, amongst others.
Today, nanotechnology is present in the adhesives and sealant industry in the form of nanoscale fillers such as fumed silica, nano precipitated calcium carbonate, and titanium dioxide. Fillers have been traditionally used in adhesives and sealants formulations with the objective of cheapening the product; however, the situation has changed nowadays, as nanoscale fillers are providing adhesives and sealants with improved performance and additional functionalities including superior physical properties, rheological control, flame resistance, and improved durability and recyclability, amongst others.
The main fillers used in the production of adhesives and sealants, which utilise nanotechnology today, are fumed silica, nano PCC, and to a lesser extent, TiO2. Fumed silica, also known as pyrogenic silica, can be produced with a particle size of several 10nm and a specific surface area of 90m²/g to 600m²/g. Fumed silica can be produced through a hydrolysis process or through precipitation process. As its name indicates, the production process of NPCC involves precipitation, which yields a particle size in the range of 60-150nm. These nanoproducts have been available in the market for several years now, serving a wide array of industries such as paper, cosmetics, food, plastics, and adhesives and sealants.
In Europe, the construction industry represents the second largest market for adhesives and sealants. It is estimated that the size of the adhesives and sealants market of products that are directly related to the construction industry in Europe was close to €1,9 billion in 2009. However, only a few products in this market are nanotechnology-enhanced. It is estimated that only 10% of all adhesives and sealants contain nano fillers and in very low percentages. There are several drivers and barriers that affect the adoption of nanotech-enhanced adhesives and sealants in the construction industry. The main drivers include improved performance, additional functionalities, and environment-related features, while the main barriers are price competitiveness, lack of awareness and risk avoidance.
It is perceived that nanotechnology will contribute to the development of a new generation of adhesives and sealants in the coming years, and that the market will continue growing. However, it is necessary to ensure that these developments go together with appropriate regulation in aspects such as health and safety, and that both the benefits and concerns about these products are extensively communicated and discussed across the value chain, from the nanoscale filler producer, through the adhesives and sealants producer, to the construction industry. This will not only help to lower the barriers of technology adoption, but also contribute to new developments in this field.
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