New Plant-Based Adhesives Developed by SAS Could Replace Petroleum-Based Materials in Tapes and Medical Patches
A research team from the Institute of Polymers of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) has made a significant contribution to the development of a new generation of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) based on renewable plant-derived raw materials. These innovative materials offer a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based adhesives while maintaining the performance required for industrial and medical applications. The researchers have already filed a patent application for this new class of bio-based pressure-sensitive adhesives.
Pressure-sensitive adhesives are widely used in everyday products such as adhesive tapes, medical patches, self-adhesive labels and stickers. They also play an important role in logistics, construction, the automotive industry and aerospace. However, most commercially available PSAs are made from fossil-based acrylates, whose production imposes a significant environmental burden.
To address this challenge, the researchers sought to replace petroleum-derived components with renewable resources without compromising material performance. The new adhesives are based on Tulipalin A (α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone, MBL), a naturally occurring plant-derived compound. Combined with fatty acid derivatives from renewable sources, it forms polymers with properties comparable to those of conventional acrylic adhesives.
The research focused not only on the adhesive composition itself but also on environmentally friendly production methods. The new materials were prepared in both organic and water-based solvent systems. From a sustainability perspective, aqueous systems offer a particularly promising solution, as they reduce emissions of volatile compounds, minimise the use of organic solvents, and improve the safety of manufacturing processes.
“Our goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to develop polymer materials that combine high performance with sustainability. Replacing fossil raw materials with renewable resources without sacrificing quality can bring significant benefits to both industry and the environment,” said Dr Jaroslav Mosnáček from the Institute of Polymers of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Although the difference may not be immediately visible in the final product, replacing aggressive chemical solvents with water during production represents an important step forward for both environmental protection and workplace safety.
Another key advantage of the new materials is their versatility. “Using modern polymerisation techniques, we can tailor the polymer structure to produce adhesives with different levels of adhesion, flexibility or removability. This allows the same material platform to be used for durable industrial adhesive tapes, gentle medical patches, or removable labels,” explained Anita Eckstein from the Institute of Polymers of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
The Institute of Polymers collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institute and VITO Irmen GmbH on the development of the new adhesives as part of the Renewable Adhesives for Adhesive Tapes (BioTape) project, funded under the DANUBE 2022 CALL programme. The project ran from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2026.
This collaboration between academic researchers and industrial partners creates strong prospects for transferring the technology from the laboratory to real-world applications. The project demonstrates that even adhesive materials can be redesigned to combine high functionality, sustainability and innovation. The research results are currently protected by the filed patent application PP 114-2026.
Source: Anita Eckstein, Gamal Zain, Institute of Polymers SAS
Prepared by: Katarína Gáliková
Photo: Lenka Sambit Kumar