Background / Unmet Need
- Conventional thermoset adhesives are typically non-recyclable, creating waste and limiting circular manufacturing.
- Market pull is strong: the adhesives market reached $92.6B in 2024 (about $122B with sealants).
- Existing “reversible” options often require solvents, high heat, or deep-UV, or they compromise performance.
Our Innovation
- A solvent-free, visible-light-curable adhesive (being a derivative of an environmentally friendly naturally occurring compound) that cures ~30 s across various visible-light wavelengths and debonds using a household microwave. It can also be cured using commercial thermoinitiators.
- Provides constant adhesion on diverse substrates and even underwater; remains transparent with high refractive index for optical uses.
Advantages
- Fast, wide-spectral cure (405/470/530/630 nm) without deep-UV; composition tuned to each wavelength. Thermo-curing if needed.
- On-demand recycling/repair via microwave – avoids added solvents or elevated-temperature processing while maintaining performance over multiple bond–debond cycles. Can also be debonded by heating to 160 ℃.
- Multi-substrate performance (glass, FR4, aluminum, polycarbonate), with strengths comparable to commercial non-reversible adhesives and above many reported recyclable/CAN systems.
- Underwater adhesion and optical-grade transparency (e.g., beam-splitter demo), enabling wet/biomedical and optics applications.
Commercial Opportunity
- We are seeking collaboration with packaging/label converters (for recyclable multi-layer packaging and removable labels), electronics & battery/smartphone OEMs (for fully recyclable electronics and serviceable assemblies), optics manufacturers (for transparent, high-RI bonding), and marine/biomedical device companies (for wet/underwater systems).
Contact in Yissum: Anna Pellivert
