A lifecycle design framework for sustainable pressure-sensitive adhesives

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Engineering

Background:

• Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are crucial for modern technologies but pose sustainability challenges due to persistent carbon-carbon backbones.
• Current PSAs offer desirable viscoelastic properties for bonding but hinder recyclability and end-of-life management.
• The inherent properties enabling strong adhesion also create difficulties in material removal, recycling, and dismantling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) sustainability.
• To frame PSA sustainability as a comprehensive lifecycle design challenge.
• To explore integrated approaches for on-demand debonding and downstream material transformation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current PSA sustainability strategies.
• Analysis of bio-based materials, degradable structures, and debonding techniques.
• Examination of emerging hybrid systems integrating multiple functionalities.

Main Results:

• Individual approaches (bio-based, degradable, debonding) address specific lifecycle stages with limitations.
• Hybrid systems successfully integrate on-demand debonding and downstream processing.
• Adhesive performance is maintained even under demanding application conditions in hybrid systems.

Conclusions:

• Sustainable PSAs necessitate a holistic lifecycle design approach, moving beyond single-axis optimization.
• Lifecycle programmability, co-engineering bonding, release, and post-use fate, is crucial.
• Tailoring adhesives for specific reuse, recycling, or recovery pathways enhances sustainability.