Resolve Polyolefin Adhesion Challenge to High Performance Athletic Shoes and Outlook in Sustainability

In this talk, I will go through my career choices starting from high school through graduate school to become a chemist and material scientist. I will also outline how this educational training gained at school enabled me to pursue a research & development (R&D) career in an industry setting. Through my 22-year career in Dow R&D, I always have been passionate to solve the hard technical challenges in colloids and interfacial sciences from emulsion polymerization to formulation stability to adhesion and adhesives formulation resulting in multiple commercialized products. A case study of developing the fundamentals in resolving the age-old challenge of bonding a polar PU adhesive to a non-polar Olefin Block Copolymer and delivering an innovative UV-curable primer solution for multiple applications including high performance shoes will be highlighted. This primer technology exceeds customers’ expectations for both ease of manufacturing and comfortable and durable shoes and was recognized by an Adhesive & Sealant Council Innovation Award in 2019. Currently, new challenges on sustainability faced by US industry, especially chemical sector, open up tremendous opportunities for R&D and materials innovation. Some of these initiatives related to the colloids and adhesion areas will be briefly discussed.