XlynX Materials, based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has created a new class of adhesives it is calling “molecular-glues”.

The new BondLynx-branded adhesives make it possible to permanently adhere difficult-to-bond polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene to themselves, and to other materials, through exceptionally strong chemical bonds.

Conventional adhesives typically take advantage of mechanical forces to hold materials together. BondLynx employs bis-diazirine chemistry to create covalent chemical bonds between polymer chains, permanently crosslinking them together through strong carbon-carbon bonds.

This is the same type of joinery found between carbon atoms in the polymer chains themselves. Once BondLynx has been applied to a polymer, the crosslinking process can be initiated by heat, ultraviolet (UV)/visible light, or an electric field depending on the specific demands of the manufacturing process.

“What’s really amazing about BondLynx is that it can “glue” virtually any plastic to any other plastic,” said Jeremy Wulff, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Victoria. “BondLynx acts by inserting itself into the carbon-hydrogen bonds that are present in almost every commodity polymer. The potential applications are limitless.”

BondLynx has successfully undergone adhesive testing on a wide range of polymers, and polymer-metal combinations. Remarkably, even elastomers and damp surfaces can be bonded, opening up broad opportunities for novel medical and dental applications.

In addition to being used directly as polymeric adhesives, BondLynx molecular-glues can be applied to polymer textiles to link and strengthen the fibres. They have proven effective, for example, in strengthening ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabrics for ballistics protective equipment and wind sport applications.

“As a leading manufacturer of body armour products, PRE Labs had the privilege to test and use ultra-high performance fabrics crosslinked with BondLynx,” said Brad Field, CEO of PRE Labs, based in Kelowna, British Columbia. “ Our evaluations to date have confirmed that these new generation cross linking agents can significantly enhance the tear and perforation resistance along with mechanical properties of high-performance fabrics.”

Researchers at the University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, McGill University, and industry labs have already begun testing.

Samples  for testing and research purposes are now available from XlynX Materials. 

www.xlynxmaterials.com