TOKYO, June 28, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004) has developed "WelQuick(TM)," a film-type
binding material to bond dissimilar materials together, such as bonding between resins and metals, with excellent
quickness and strength. SDK has already started to provide potential customers with samples of WelQuick.
In recent years, manufacturing industry's requirements for materials such as lightness, heat-resistance and strength
have been advanced so much that almost no single material can meet such sophisticated needs. Therefore, there has been a
progress in introduction of composite structure into components, in which dissimilar materials such as resins and metals
are bound together. This movement is called "multi-materialization." There are many methods to bond dissimilar
materials, such as bonding with liquid adhesives or hot-melt adhesives, and mechanical fastening with bolts. Though
manufacturers demand simple, easy and timesaving bonding process while securing enough adhesive strength. However,
simultaneous achievement of simplicity and adhesiveness has been difficult.
WelQuick, which has been developed by SDK, is a film-type adhesive component, and eliminates the process to apply liquid
components which was necessary process for reactive adhesives. Therefore, WelQuick is easy to handle, and shortens
bonding time to a few seconds by utilizing the phase change[1] between solid and liquid, while bonding with conventional
adhesives takes dozens of minutes.
WelQuick can bond resins and metals. The former includes polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate and nylon, while the
latter includes aluminum, iron and copper. SDK has confirmed that WelQuick can achieve shear adhesive strength[2] of
more than 10MPa[3] with more than 40 combinations of base materials. Moreover, our customers can choose welding method
suitable for their needs from wide variety of welding methods including ultrasonic welding which realizes high-speed
welding, electromagnetic induction welding which is suitable for metals, and heat welding which is suitable for various
materials. Furthermore, films of WelQuick can be stored at room temperature for long periods. WelQuick does not produce
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when welded. Thus WelQuick lowers the burden on the environment.
On the basis of these strong points, WelQuick can contribute to customers' cost reduction and reduction of CO2 emission
through improvement in efficiency of production processes.
The Showa Denko Group has wide-ranging technologies and materials concerning inorganics, organics and aluminum. By
fusing these technologies into one, the Group will provide various business fields, where multi-materialization is in
progress, with new solutions, and aim to maximize the value of Customers' Experience.
For further detail of WelQuick technology, please refer to the following URL.
For data on the properties of WelQuick, please refer to the following URL.
Comparison of WelQuick bonding method and conventional bonding method
[1] Phase change: Changes in the state of material (gas, liquid and solid) caused by changes in temperature and
pressure. WelQuick(TM) technology utilizes liquefaction of solid and solidification of liquid.
[2] Shear adhesive strength: Adhesive strength that acts on the surfaces of adhered materials parallel to adhered
surfaces when the base materials are pulled to opposite directions to slide laterally.
[3] MPa (Mega Pascal): The SI unit of pressure. If the two sample materials show shear adhesive strength of 10MPa, one
square centimeter of adhered surface requires forces of about 100kg to be peeled off.
About Showa Denko K.K.
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY) is a major manufacturer of chemical products serving from heavy industry to
computers and electronics. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the
Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other
industries, the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory/graphite electrodes
and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the
Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high bright LEDs, and rare earth magnetic
alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more
information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.