Adhesives and sealants are a preferred alternative to conventional fasteners and joining materials as they help streamline the construction process and aid in overall cost reduction. As mentioned above, Huntsman’s Barrier Koat is mainly used to combat leakages while Klad X is used for vertical cladding of marble. “It offers high-strength adhesive properties along with a fast bonding time of 30 minutes and is perfect for large projects and outdoor applications,” updates Muralidhara K Shenoy, Country and Commercial Director, Huntsman Advanced Materials. Adhesives and sealants are required for both indoor and outdoor applications. “For outdoor applications, they provide stability against UV rays,” explains Chetan Raikar, Chairman and Managing Director, Structwel. “One needs dimensional stability when in constant touch with water or moisture.” For construction and corrosion protection, Covestro offers PASQUICK® coating technology, a groundbreaking polyaspartic coating technology, fit for demanding applications, both indoors and outdoors. “It can reduce the number of required coating layers and offers excellent handling and protection properties,” says Ajay Durrani, Managing Director, Covestro India. “This means faster work flow and reduced labour costs without any compromise in quality for coating projects.” Covestro’s vast range of polyurethane raw materials offers special high-performance, fire-rated and space-efficient solutions to the thermal insulation needs of buildings. Also, the company has gone beyond such products, to offer solutions including PIR-based dry panel systems for affordable housing. Research methodology Given the technological advancement in the sector, this is truly the right time for the industry to focus its efforts on R&D to meet the requirements of customers. As for Huntsman, its Araldite brand has been synonymous with high bonding strength, superior quality, durability and innovation. As Shenoy says, “Customer satisfaction is paramount and our extensive supply chain network of over 1 lakh retail outlets across India has helped Araldite become the most trusted partner.” Besides, it has set up a state-of-the-art technology and innovation centre in India to facilitate customisation of product offerings to better suit local requirements. Meanwhile, the investment by Covestro in a technical centre in Mumbai (SMDC) has helped serve local, diversified customer needs. The challenges For adhesives and sealants, the challenge lies in understanding the varied needs of different industries and adopting solutions to suit the needs of clients. “For this reason, it is imperative that companies continue to spend adequately on R&D,” avers Shenoy. Another challenge the industry faces, according to him, is price-based competition from unorganised players. As for Durrani, he urges strict certification by OEM and component manufacturers. - DIKSHA JAWLE