I-Corps: Roadmap to Commercialization of Electrospun Polymer Adhesives

University Of Akron, Akron OH

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed technology holds the promise of delivering an adhesive product and technology that is self-cleaning, re-usable and re-attachable. It can be used as toe pads, gloves, tapes or other novel applications. Commercial pressure-sensitive adhesives consist of a sticky polymeric layer and make intimate contact with surface asperities. This team demonstrated in their laboratory fibrous adhesives can exhibit similar adhesion property to commercial adhesives, but with self-cleaning capability. The proposed tasks aim to catalyze the establishment of a new business that focuses on developing adhesives using electrospun polymer micro- and nano-fibers. If successful, this project will spur commercialization activities for the next-generation adhesives emulating naturally occurring phenomena with synthetic flexible equivalents. The team will prototype products and investigate a business model for subsequent investment. The proposed activities in team building, research and wealth creation will forge links among manufacturing science, materials physics and entomological disciplines and the team will complement the PI's efforts in materials development. The team has identified over a dozen potential partners that may be interested in the proposed products and this I-Corps effort will support the investigation of the commercial viability with many of these potential partners.