Background
Residential homes in North America currently use 13.5 billion square feet of asphalt shingles, which are usually installed from spring through late fall. Once the temperature drops below 4 C°, current adhesives used to hold down asphalt shingles fail to properly adhere. As a result, shingles may be blown loose before an extended period of warmth allows the adhesive to properly bind the shingles together. The objective of this request is to find alternative chemistries or processes that would allow roofing installations later into the year.
What we're looking for
The sponsor is seeking novel approaches to expand the temperature range of these commercial adhesives to temperatures below 4 C°. Potential solutions from adjacent industries are of significant interest, including novel materials, innovations in manufacturing processes and engineering solutions. Possible partnerships include contract research, providing grant monies, or other forms of investment.
Solutions of interest include:
- Materials substitution, multifunctional materials, engineered products, or novel material structures
- Curing agents or additives that lower the operational temperature window
- Modifications to current manufacturing processes
- Coatings, surface treatments, sealing agents, or other post-processing solutions would be considered but are of a lower priority than other methods
Our must-have requirements are:
- Demonstrates successful adhesion under a broad range of thermal conditions, moisture and physical stresses without loss of mechanical integrity; a key performance criterion is proper adhesion at temperatures below 4 C° and ideally below 0 C°. Note that a successful technology must demonstrate suitable adhesion when the all components are at a temperature of 4 C or lower when application occurs.
- Passes standard industry test methods for asphaltic shingles, SAFT/Heat Resistance and peel adhesion testing for commercial roofing applications (ASTM D6831 and ASTM D3161)
- Greater than 95% solids with little to no VOC and flash point greater than 210 C°
- Viscosity below 10,000 cp, ideally below 1,000 cp
- Demonstrates a clear path to high volume production
What's out of scope:
- Modifications of current adhesive formulations that do not significantly improve performance and/or meet the desired key performance targets noted in this RFP
- Materials or solutions that do not meet current safety or toxicity standards for residential home construction in the U.S.
- Concepts, ideas, or any early-stage technology that has not yet been demonstrated at lab or pilot scale.
- Adhesives where the application temperature is above 4 C or solutions that require elevated temperatures to ensure proper curing.
What we can offer you
Benefits:
Funding for 6 -12 months to develop concept, validate and refine materials, and transfer learnings to Sponsor