Adhesion Matters
Adhesion Matters
Elena Bondwell
Adhesion Matters pulls back the curtain on the remarkable world of adhesives—the invisible technologies quietly revolutionizing everything from smartphones and EVs to Hollywood effects and wind turbines. We guide listeners on a deep-entangled journey through innovation, sustainability, and the surprising human stories behind the products that hold our modern life together. Adhesion Matters isn’t just about chemistry—it’s a storytelling lens on how sticky stuff shapes our world. Every episode reveals that adhesives do more than bind—they enable durability, safety, and innovation across industries. Tune in if you’re curious about the overlooked tech that really holds things together.
Sealing the Smallest Molecule: Adhesives for Hydrogen & Fuel Cells
How do you seal the most elusive molecule in the universe? In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we explore the unique role adhesives and sealants play in the hydrogen economy. From membrane–electrode assemblies (MEAs) in fuel cells to valves, pipelines, and high-pressure tanks, hydrogen’s small size creates extraordinary challenges: permeation, embrittlement, and cyclic fatigue. We highlight sealant chemistries that can stand up to these demands—including silicones, fluorosilicones, and hybr...
Aug 24, 2025
14 min
Seamless Sealing: Henkel’s Sonderhoff FIPFG Foam Gasket Technology
What if seals could be created directly on your part—no cutting, no insertion, no seams? In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we dive into Henkel’s Sonderhoff Formed-in-Place Foam Gasket (FIPFG) technology, a system that applies liquid foam directly onto components where it cures into seamless, precise, and highly resilient gaskets. We explore how polyurethane systems like FERMAPOR K31 and silicone foams like FERMASIL are transforming sealing in industries ranging from electronics enclosures ...
Aug 24, 2025
15 min
Sticking Safely: Medical PSAs, Biocompatibility, and ISO 10993
Why must a medical adhesive stick—and then let go—without harming the skin? In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we dig into the science—and the sticky business—behind pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) designed for everything from surgical dressings and wearables to wound care patches. We compare key chemistries—silicones, acrylics, and hydrogels—and show how each serves specific medical purposes like temperature resistance, conformability, or moisture management. We break down the ...
Aug 24, 2025
12 min
Adhesives at Sea: Structural Bonding and Safety in Modern Shipbuilding
Welcome back to the Adhesion Matters podcast. How do adhesives survive salt spray, constant shock, and the world’s toughest fire standards? In this episode, we dive into the unique challenges of marine and shipbuilding applications. From composite superstructures and deck bonding to corrosion-resistant sealing, adhesives are now replacing welds and rivets in some of the harshest environments on earth. We highlight some epoxy adhesies for structural bonding, along with silicone sealants that ...
Aug 24, 2025
15 min
From Heat to Miniaturization: How Adhesives Are Reinventing PCB Manufacturing
Welcome back to Adhesion Matters. Adhesives have quietly evolved from simple bonders into indispensable, high-performance materials in PCB manufacturing—critical for thermal management, electrical performance, and environmental resilience. In this episode, we explore how adhesives empower modern electronics: enabling miniaturization, supporting flexible and high-density circuits (think HDI and flex PCBs), and meeting rising demands in consumer tech and electric vehicles. You’ll discover...
Aug 10, 2025
21 min
Bonded for Safety: How AS/EN 9120 Certification Ensures Aerospace Adhesives Integrity
In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we shine a light on one of aviation’s unsung heroes: adhesives. These advanced chemical formulations are increasingly replacing rivets and bolts in aircraft and spacecraft—but only when handled with meticulous quality control. We explore why AS 9120 / EN 9120—a specialized quality management standard tailored for aerospace distributors—is critical to maintaining the integrity, traceability, and reliability of adhesives throughout the supply chain. From tem...
Aug 10, 2025
22 min
PFAS-Free Adhesives: The Roadmap
In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we explore the urgent transition toward PFAS-free adhesives—a shift driven by environmental concerns, strict regulations, and growing public awareness. What You’ll Learn: PFAS: The 'Forever Chemicals' You Don’t Want in Your Glue Once valued for exceptional resistance to water, heat, and chemicals, PFAS compounds are now under intense scrutiny for their persistence in the environment and potential health risks.From Regulation to Reform—A Global Push Gover...
Aug 9, 2025
28 min
Bonded for Wind: Inside the Blade Bonding Revolution
In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we power up to explore adhesive bonding in wind turbine blades—unpacking the engineering breakthroughs, production hurdles, and future trends that are shaping blades for a sustainable energy future. What You'll Learn: The Invisible Backbone of Blades Adhesives do far more than just ‘stick’—they bond complex components like shell halves and shear webs in massive blades (50–80 meters long), delivering structural integrity under extreme conditions.Fast-Curin...
Aug 9, 2025
30 min
How the Adhesive & Sealant Council Is Powering Innovation, Sustainability & Workforce Growth
What if the future of electric vehicles, green buildings, even everyday packaging rested on something as deceptively simple as glue? In this episode of Adhesion Matters, we dive into the world of the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC)—the influential North American trade association quietly driving innovation, education, advocacy, and sustainability across the adhesives industry. What You’ll Discover: The Industry Backbone Founded in 1958, ASC represents over 75% of the U.S. adhesive and sea...
Aug 9, 2025
19 min
Superglue of the Future: AI-Powered Hydrogels That Stick Underwater
Welcome back to Adhesion Matters. Ever wondered if we could engineer glue so powerful it works underwater and endures tides? This episode dives into a wild, near-futuristic breakthrough that merges big data, bio-inspired chemistry, and machine learning to create a glue that’s practically unstoppable. What you’ll discover: Evolution as a data source Imagine using sequences from adhesive proteins found in bacteria, fungi—even viruses! The team mined over 24,000 such sequences across the tree o...
Aug 7, 2025
19 min
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