Araldite 2050 and Araldite 2051 can even cure under normal/sea water, humid conditions and virtually do not require surface preparation says Muralidhar Shenoy, Commercial Director – Europe, MEA & India – Advanced Materials, Huntsman Corporation.

What is the right way to utilize adhesives and sealants to ensure that it can withstand inclement weather?
We have several grades of Araldite adhesives and sealants based on different chemistries (e.g. epoxy, methacrylate, silicone), which are suitable for very stringent weather conditions including temperature changes, rain, wind, dust storm etc. However, the performance of adhesives and sealants is always a combination of multiple factors. Besides using the correct product and joint design, proper surface preparation and appropriate application process are the most critical factors in achieving a dependable quality bond.

Huntsman supplies a wide range of high-performance adhesives which adhere firmly to most of the materials. High strength bonds can be achieved after removal of loose or chemically unbound contaminants such as dust, rust deposits, oils, grease etc. prior to the bonding/sealing process. However, when maximum strength and longterm durability are required, a more thorough mechanical or a chemical surface pretreatment is highly recommended. The optimum application temperature of majority of adhesives and sealants is between 15°C and 40°C. Hence it should be ensured that these products are not applied at temperatures below 5°C and above 40°C. Once the adhesive or sealant gets cured it can withstand the clement weather conditions.

How do acrylic polymers achieve permanent bonds and reliable sealing, even in challenging environments?
Modified acrylic or methacrylate adhesives are one of the most popular structural adhesives. They are often called as reactive acrylics and can cure within few minutes at room temperature. These are toughened and can even bond with minimal or no surface preparation. These are formulated in such a way that it can work even under extremely tough and challenging environmental conditions. We recently launched methacrylate based innovative adhesives Araldite 2050 and Araldite 2051, which unlike other regular structural adhesives, can cure between – 20°C to + 40°C temperature.

These can even cure under normal/sea water, humid conditions and virtually do not require surface preparation. Both these adhesives provide outstanding adhesion on dissimilar substrates, excellent durability, weathering resistance and can withstand upto +120°C.

Bitumen’s and polymers are actively used to achieve the required degree of waterproofing, on what basis should an end user make the right choice for his/her project?
We supply Araldite Builder range of waterproofing products and do not have Bitumen in our product range. However, we do have acrylic and SBR polymer emulsions (Araldite Builder Renova ACR and Araldite Renova LTX), which are extensively used for waterproofing applications. For appropriate waterproofing related to a specific project, it is important to consider not only the site conditions but also other project requirements. The functionality and future use, service life and the total cost of the project are the key considerations.

What kind of steps or measures have been taken by Huntsman to ensure smooth functioning of business post the lockdown?
For over 50 years, Huntsman has been using science and ingenuity to create innovations that play a critical role in the everyday lives of many millions of people. We have built an enterprise that is not just profitable but sustainable too. Safety of associates and stakeholders has always been our top priority. The efficient and flexible IT systems have enabled smooth working from home for most employees. All our sites have been fully transformed to comply with the relevant safety and health guidelines. Frequent sanitization, daily temperature checks with maximum 10 per cent employee strength have been some critical changes made at the site level.

We took this challenge as an opportunity to spearhead the much-needed digital transformation at Huntsman. Agility, adaptability and customer centricity have been the keystones to our strategic response to Covid-19. We will continue to be cautious yet competitive, keeping an eye on the evolving market conditions.

How are you managing your supply chain post the lockdown?
At Huntsman, we are constantly focused on prudency and efficiency in our supply chain processes, with the primary objective of delivering the best possible service to our customers. Our supply chain and commercial/marketing teams work in close collaboration, to achieve this objective, via strong engagement with our key customers and channel partners. Our state-of-the-art IT systems and an efficient network of outsourced warehouses across the country, enable us to optimize our operations, even when a large number of our associates are working from home, in the current environment.

Our constant engagement with our customers and channel partners enables us to closely monitor the market conditions, develop demand forecasts and optimize our procurement & manufacturing plans on a dynamic basis. High emphasis on cost and working capital optimization are a part of our working culture and this enables us to tide over these challenging circumstances with minimum disruptions.