Funded by the European Commission, this project addresses the issue of adhesive bonding methods requiring an energy-intensive oven cure process. Adhesive bonding technologies are a greener alternative to welding because they offer vehicle designers the potential to select from a wider range of lightweight materials for vehicle design and construction, thus allowing vehicles to maximize fuel efficiency.

Yet because current adhesives need to be oven cured at high temperatures, their sustainability is doomed by energy consumption. The collective aim of the Powder Bond project is to develop an adhesive system that will not require an oven cure at high temperatures to achieve bond strength. This will enable SMEs tier suppliers to add value to supplied components by helping vehicle manufacturers lower manufacturing carbon footprint and meet obligations regarding vehicle CO2 emission through light-weighting.