Debonding On Demand

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CHALLENGE SPONSOR:

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-oriented innovative processes and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2023, the enterprise with more than 33,000 employees generated sales of €15.3 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.66 billion from continuing operations.   

Creavis is the strategic innovation unit and business incubator of Evonik. For more than 25 years, it has been paving the way for new technologies and innovative business models that make a livable future possible. Its approximately 200 employees worldwide develop sustainable solutions for key challenges arising from climate change and population growth. In doing so, they drive new economic ecosystems and value chains.


DEBONDING-ON-DEMAND: SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE  

Adhesives are crucial in modern manufacturing, enabling fast assembly, bonding of different materials, and lightweight construction. However, they can hinder the repair and recycling of bonded parts.

Adhesives that can be debonded on demand could revolutionize the circular economy by making products easier to dismantle and recycle.

Despite numerous attempts, there are still few effective debondable adhesives available on the market.

THE CHALLENGE 

We seek innovative, out-of-the-box approaches to achieve one of the following two targets for debonding:

Target 1: We are interested in new chemical strategies for debonding on demand that: 

  • fit to existing technologies for chemically curing adhesives (Polyurethane, Epoxy, Silicone, Acrylate) 
  • act on the backbone of the chemical network via reversible or cleavable covalent bonds
  • are economically attractive 

Please think beyond well described approaches, such as Diels-Alder based systems, that have shown not to be technically and commercially viable. 

Target 2: We are looking for application proposals where debonding on demand can be beneficial in terms of recycling, repair or rework, for instance by  

  • meeting regulatory requirements 
  • recovery of high value material 
  • minimizing waste 
  • enhancing product lifetime

IDEA SUBMISSION 

Each submission should cover one or more of the following key points: 

  • Brief overview of the Idea (One-Pager) incl. description of the technical concept  
  • Technical and commercial benefits and limitations of the solution 
  • Optional: Flowsheets, drawings, examples, or references for the proposed solution or for comparable systems 
  • Optional: Potential collaboration concept for development, scaling up, testing and implementation 

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 

For new technical debonding approaches: 

  1. Compatibility with existing adhesive technologies  
  2. Economical attractiveness, cost and availability of materials as well as manufacturing effort  
  3. Suitability of the debonding trigger for typical adhesive applications  
  4. Novelty: already published?  

For new debonding applications: 

  1. Moderate lifespan of the product with the bonded parts  
  2. Regulatory pressure  
  3. Value (economical or emotional) of bonded parts  
  4. Accessibility of the adhesives joint  
  5. Suitable trigger: is the adhesive accessible by a specific trigger  

CHALLENGE CONDITIONS 

LEGAL 

The following link will provide you with important information on the conditions of participation and data protection. Please take note of them.

AWARD 

Evonik will initiate a joint project to work together on a proof-of-concept. 

Important note: such a project be at the discretion of both Evonik and the Participant. Evonik reserves the right to enter into any joint project with any Participant. Numerous projects are possible. Each potential project will be assessed individually. 

Target groups: Everyone is welcome to participate. The intended target groups include students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, research and development institutions, start-ups in the fields of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, economics, chemical economics, as well as professionals in chemistry, biology, and engineering.

DEADLINE 

Challenge closes on June 30th, 2025 

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNING CONCEPT 

6 weeks after submission deadline

BY SUBMITTING THE FORM YOU ACCEPT OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SUPPORT NEEDED