Industry News Tracker | Adhesives & Sealants Industry (ASI) | 30 June 2026
Read Original Full Article at adhesivesmag.com

Key Takeaways

Researchers across Canada, South Korea, and Finland are expanding the scope of sustainable materials science in adhesives and composites, moving from simple bio-based substitutions towards engineered systems that combine high performance, smart functionality, and recyclability. Against a backdrop of manufacturers seeking to cut carbon emissions and reduce dependence on fossil-based feedstocks, studies cited in the article note that the global bio-based polymer market is projected to grow by around 11% annually through 2030, with uptake particularly strong in Europe and North America. Within adhesives and sealants, market analyses suggest continuing growth in sustainable formulations as producers search for lower-emission chemistries, renewable raw materials, and designs that support circular economy goals.

The article profiles three main lines of research: mussel- and mistletoe-inspired protein–cellulose scaffolds from McGill University that can be repeatedly reassembled and show non-toxicity to human cells; an eco-friendly, photo-switchable smart adhesive from Jeonbuk National University that uses a rose-oil-derived monomer and maintains more than 90% of its adhesion strength over multiple reuse cycles; and biomass-derived epoxy and polyester resins from the University of Oulu that demonstrate up to 76% higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin while offering chemical recyclability for composite applications.

Technical Details

1. Core Technology / Process

• Mussel- and mistletoe-inspired fabrication of hierarchically structured protein–cellulose scaffolds using biomolecular condensates as droplet precursors.
• Freeze-drying of droplets to form aligned porous scaffolds with multiscale structural organisation resembling biological tissues.
• Reversible dissolution of scaffolds back into droplets, enabling multiple reuse cycles and reassembly into new structures.
• Eco-friendly, photo-switchable adhesive based on biomass-derived copolymers incorporating acid azobenzene functions.
• Photo-switchable adhesion achieved by UV- and visible-light-induced changes in material rheology.
• Bio-based epoxy and polyester resins synthesised from biomass-derived platform chemicals for composite applications.
• Chemical recyclability designed into bio-based thermoset resins, enabling depolymerisation and reuse as raw materials.

2. Key Ingredients / Specifications

3. Performance Data

• Global bio-based polymer market projected to grow by ~11% annually through 2030, driven mainly by adoption in Europe and North America (nova-Institute study).
• Sustainable adhesives market expected to expand as manufacturers seek lower-emission, bio-based, and recyclable formulations (MarketsandMarkets).
• T/A adhesive contains 95% tetrahydrogeraniol-based monomer in its composition.
• Reused T/A adhesives maintained more than 90% of their original adhesion strength over multiple reuse cycles across thermal and chemical switching methods.
• Biomass-based polyester resin developed at the University of Oulu shows up to 76% higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin.
• New bio-based thermoset resins are chemically recyclable, allowing materials to be broken down and reused as raw materials instead of becoming non-recyclable composite waste.

4. Market / Sustainability

• Manufacturers in packaging, automotive, construction, and electronics are pursuing renewable alternatives to reduce emissions, pollution, and resource depletion.
• Bio-based polymers and biochemicals are positioned as key enablers of lower-carbon and circular material systems.
• Sustainable adhesives and sealants are increasingly expected to deliver high-strength, reusable performance while aligning with circular economy mandates.
• Biomass-derived resins convert low-value forestry and agricultural side streams, such as sawdust and straw, into high-performance composite materials.
• Chemical recyclability of bio-based thermoset resins addresses end-of-life challenges in composite applications like wind turbine blades, enabling more circular manufacturing.
• Integration of chemical-industry processes with forest-based raw materials is suggested as a route to new bioeconomy value chains.

AI Editors Context

This article illustrates how sustainable materials research in adhesives and composites is transitioning from simple fossil replacement towards integrated performance, functionality, and circularity. Mussel- and mistletoe-inspired protein–cellulose scaffolds highlight biologically informed design principles that offer reusability and compatibility with human cells, pointing towards biomedical and advanced-structure uses. The South Korean work on photo-switchable smart adhesives shows how biomass-derived monomers and azobenzene chemistry can embed reversibility and multiple control modes into bonding systems without discarding strength or versatility. Meanwhile, Finnish research on bio-based epoxy and polyester resins demonstrates that biomass feedstocks can support high-performance composite materials with chemical recyclability, directly addressing end-of-life constraints that have long challenged thermoset-based products.

Companies, Chemicals & Uses

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