Towards the development of Green and Sustainable Adhesives

Many commercially available adhesives are derived from fossil or petroleum-derived feedstocks with a significant negative environmental footprint. Toxicity of certain components within adhesive formulations is problematic for our health and environment, for example, indoor air sickness. Furthermore, many adhesives are one-time fix only and not amenable to recycling or reuse.
This project aims to develop novel biobased adhesives with low environmental impact that are re-usuable and recyclable for use in a circular, resource-efficient, economy. Novel formulations will be developed and their socio-techno and economic impact will be assessed. A thorough understanding of the chemical behaviour of the adhesive will be gained during this project so that its properties can be tuned to optimise its performance.