Sustainable Thermoplastic Rubber Adhesive for Enhanced Adhesion and Corrosion Resistance

In response to the growing need for lightweight solutions in automotive and other structural components, considerable emphasis has been placed on advancing the development of multi-material joints utilizing adhesives. Traditional thermoset adhesives, while effective, pose challenges for disassembly, repair, and recycling due to their one-time cure nature. To overcome these limitations and enhance sustainability, a lignin-based thermoplastic acrylonitrile-butadiene-lignin rubber (ABL) has been strategically engineered by incorporating particulate fillers, addressing the need for robust and sustainable adhesive solutions in multi-material joints. The durability and recyclability of the adhesive composites were investigated. Additionally, a variety of biobased polymer coatings were applied on the substrate surface to improve the corrosion resistance of the bonded joints, while preserving the adhesion strength. Combining various surface treatment techniques, including plasma and anodization, resulted in improved adhesion strength and corrosion resistance for the bonded metal parts.