Thioester Adhesive for Reversible Apparel Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The apparel industry faces challenges in recycling clothing due to the mix of materials used in various components, which are often joined by permanent methods like sewing, making disassembly difficult and costly, and manual separation cannot keep up with high volumes.
Innovation Solution
Apparel products are designed with a reversible adhesive using thioester bonds, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly by applying a composition that crosslinks to form an adhesive, enabling the separation of components for recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If permanent joining methods (sewing) are used to assemble apparel components, then the structural integrity and durability of the apparel product is improved, but the ease of disassembly and recycling is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive bond is designed to be dynamic rather than static - it provides strong structural integrity during normal use and wear, but can be reversed under specific conditions (heat, time, mechanical stress) to enable disassembly. This dynamic behavior allows the same bond to serve both durability and recyclability functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive's bonding characteristics are changed by controlling parameters such as temperature, time, and mechanical stress. Under normal wear conditions, the adhesive maintains strong bonding. Under controlled disassembly conditions (heat treatment, extended time), the adhesive reverses, enabling separation of components for recycling.
2Reliability
If manual separation methods are used to separate apparel components for recycling, then the integrity of recyclable materials is maintained, but the productivity and cost-effectiveness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical separation process is replaced by a chemical/thermal process that automatically separates components. The adhesive reverses under controlled heat and time conditions, allowing automated separation systems to efficiently divide apparel components by material type without manual intervention, thereby increasing throughput while maintaining material integrity.
3Ease of operation
If reversible adhesive is used to join apparel components, then the ease of disassembly and recycling is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and process time is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive system is self-servicing in that it automatically forms strong bonds during normal assembly without requiring complex machinery or multi-step processes. The reversibility is built into the adhesive chemistry itself, allowing disassembly through simple exposure to heat and time conditions, eliminating the need for complex automated separation systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution facilitates efficient and cost-effective recycling by allowing components to be easily separated and sorted by material type, improving the recycling process and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
The first composition and the second composition are crosslinked to one another to form an adhesive comprising a thioester bond
Implementation Method 2
The adhesive includes a material having a thioester bond
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide adhesives for apparel products. The apparel product includes a major component and a minor component. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component of the apparel product forms a secondary portion and is configured to be coupled to the major component. An adhesive is disposed at least partially between a portion of the major component and a portion of the minor component. The adhesive includes a material having a thioester bond.