Reversible Adhesive Encourages Recycling

Nov-01-18 A reversible adhesive could promote the recycling of electronic waste by making it easier to separate components.

One of the difficulties in recycling complex products like electronics is separating the components—especially when they are glued together.

As an alternative to harsh chemicals or physical force, the team from KIT created a thermolabile adhesive that is stable at room temperature but will decompose in a quick and controllable way when heated. The parameters of this “Debonding on Demand” (DOD) process can be can varied to suit the application, and the adhesive will turn pink to signal its imminent disintegration.

Image: Curtis Palmer, Flickr

More Info about this Invention:

[NEWATLAS.COM]
[KIT.EDU]

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