Super strong adhesive withstands 200 degrees Celsius

US scientists develop adhesives with high strength, one cm2 can hold objects weighing 136kg.

A team of scientists at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a new adhesive with promising properties, New Atlas reported on February 25. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.

New material with strong adhesive ability.

In the study, the experts used polystyrene-b-poly (ethylene-co-butylene)-b-polystyrene, or SEBS. This polymer is used in items such as toothbrushes, handles and diapers.

The team of scientists equipped SEBS with new capabilities by making modifications to the chemical structure. They do this thanks to a dynamic cross-linking process, which allows for bonding between normally incompatible materials. They paired silica and polymer nanoparticles with the help of compounds called boronic esters, creating a new cross-linked composite called SiNP. Boronic esters are key to the reusability of the new adhesive because they allow cross-links to be formed and broken multiple times.

"An important finding is that the boronic ester on SEBS can rearrange the bonds with the hydroxyl groups (including oxygen and hydrogen) on the SiNP to accommodate the desired properties. We also detected the formation of these The same reversible boronic ester bond is associated with a variety of surfaces containing hydroxyl groups," said Md Anisur Rahman, lead author of the study.

The cross-links move inside the new material, helping it stick to a variety of surfaces, one square centimeter can withstand up to about 136kg. The team also conducted strength tests, in which they attempted to forcefully separate the new adhesive. As a result, its ability even surpassed any commercially available adhesive they tested. According to the team of experts, the combination of strength and ductility makes the new adhesive one of the most resilient materials.

"Strong and tough adhesives are very difficult to make because they require a combination of hard and soft properties that are often incompatible. The hard part is to add toughness from ductile materials without sacrificing strength. Our method uses dynamic chemical bonds to develop a new adhesive with outstanding properties, unmatched in current materials," said Tomonori Saito, ORNL scientist , study co-author, explains.

The new adhesive is recyclable and remains effective at temperatures up to more than 200 degrees Celsius, making it suitable for applications that require high temperatures. The team thinks it could be useful in the aerospace, automotive, and construction sectors, and is working to commercialize and improve the technology. In addition, new materials also help save resources and reduce waste.