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Safer Versatile Adhesives

Safer, versatile adhesives: Adhesives manufacturers deal with a multitude of toxic chemicals, from solvents to reactive additives.  And, the process of manufacturing adhesives can be quite dangerous.  Typical adhesive formulations include the isocyanates (which are toxic and asthmagens), formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen) , and endocrine disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A.  Other formulations exist that are less of a human or ecological concern, but they tend to have only limited, highly specific, application.  This research would utilize the fundamentals of green chemistry to develop a safer formulation, based on aliphatic thiols (common in natural minerals) and disulfide (a component of hair that impacts its  natural curl).  Dr. Daniel Schmidt, UMass Lowell Professor of Plastics Engineering, will be looking at plant oils as possible feedstocks for the polymer network of the adhesive, and will attempt to synthesize the new adhesive in a neutral aqueous solution.  Dr. Schmidt will be collaborating with ITW Devcon on this research. 

Dr. Daniel Schmidt investigates safer and versatile adhesives