Debond-on-demand adhesives are unlocking progress toward a circular economy

It’s impossible to imagine a world without cars, smartphones or packaged food. Adhesives play an essential role in making those products safe and reliable. They form strong bonds between materials that make up almost every product we use in daily life. But advanced and sustainable technologies from Henkel can also debond on demand—so products can be disassembled to enable repairs or to separate materials for reuse or recycling. 

What factors are driving the development of adhesives that debond on demand?

Philipp tho Pesch: There are three major drivers, with regulation being the most prominent one in the automotive sector, for example, there are new EU rules for battery passports and recycling quotas. This means that there will be guidelines for OEMs  to design EV batteries in a way to enable repairing, remanufacturing and recycling of those batteries—while always ensuring full transparency and traceability.

In addition, there’s a clear economic incentive as repairability helps reduce costs for the manufacturer. High-value components like electric vehicle batteries can account for up to 50 percent of the vehicle cost. Debondable adhesives allow for non-destructive disassembly and can therefore reduce scrap in production and allow a repair in the aftermarket. And finally, demand from end customers is also driving debond-on-demand adhesives because people are increasingly aware of the potential to repair, reuse and recycle vehicle parts.

Pierre Farbos de Luzan: As Right to Repair regulations gain traction in the EU and beyond, electronics manufacturers face growing pressure to design devices that are repairable by consumers—without the need for specialized tools or expertise.

Debond-on-demand adhesives play a key role in enabling this shift, allowing easy access to internal components for repair or replacement. They also support circularity by simplifying disassembly at end-of-life, helping recover valuable parts and materials like precious metals for recycling.

How do these technologies work?

Philipp tho Pesch: Our innovators are designing adhesives that debond when triggered by different mechanisms including heat, electric current, infrared light, magnetic charges or solvents. We can debond materials on demand in a way that directly suits each unique application. As requirements differ based on the final application, the decision for a specific trigger is done on a case-by-case decision. The requirements are different for debonding EV batteries, headlamps or plastic parts on the tailgate, so we develop optimized technologies that are suitable for the materials and components involved at each part of the vehicle.

Pierre Farbos de Luzan: Unlike car repairs, smartphones repairs are shifting to consumers’ homes. In this context, tapes and films are preferred over liquid adhesives, which may require safety gear and do not always allow for clean removal.

Debond-on-demand solutions like Electrical Delamination ‏(EDL) tapes and films help solve this challenge—consumers can safely replace screens or batteries by applying low-voltage currents to a targeted area, enabling fast, precise, and safe debonding.

What does the future hold for debond-on-demand adhesives?

Philipp tho Pesch: We’re investing in these innovations, while also collaborating with people and companies at all stages in the automotive value chain. We have established our Battery Engineering Center at the Inspiration Center in Düsseldorf, for example, where we spearhead technological advances for the development of next-generation EV batteries. Together with our partners, we’re developing technologies to apply and debond these adhesives in industrial ways to unlock their potential in the context of circular economy. The industry is still in its early stages but is likely to establish fast. For EV batteries, it will be possible to repair them at local workshops or in regional hubs, thus increasing convenience for OEMs and vehicle owners.  The logistics and practicalities of the industry are still taking shape, but technology is at an advanced stage.

Pierre Farbos de Luzan: Momentum is growing, but it will be heavily influenced by regulators. Leading brands will also play a central role by implementing best practices and establishing an ecosystem where users can access spare parts or new components. At Henkel, we’re proactively creating a portfolio of debond-on-demand adhesive technologies that smartphone manufacturers can leverage into their next-generation designs to enable more repairability—while maintaining device’s structural integrity and performance.