Henkel is a world leader in adhesives and sealants, both technologically and ecologically. The widely varied product range includes home renovation products, adhesive and correction products for the home and the office, and construction adhesives. Henkel’s industrial and structural adhesives, sealants and surface treatments create globally recognized system solutions. An important factor in the sustained market success of these products is the fact that they are convenient and safe to use.

When craftsmen and DIYers opened, poured and mixed tile adhesives, they often used to find themselves surrounded by a cloud of cement dust. This sometimes resulted in annoying coughing, skin irritations, and dust in the eyes. In the newly developed Ceresit microgranular tile adhesive “Highly Flexible,” the dust particles are bonded together in fine microgranules. This means up to 90 percent less dust compared with conventional tile adhesives. This not only spares the user’s health, but results in far less dust in the work environment and neighboring areas.

Another advantage is the 30 percent higher coverage per kilogram of adhesive. 18 kilograms of Ceresit “Highly Flexible” microgranular tile adhesive can cover an area that would otherwise require 25 kilograms. Moreover, far less effort is needed to apply the new tile adhesive.

In the U.S. construction market, increasingly stringent regulations restrict the use of solvents in building materials. Growing numbers of consumers are also calling for greater use of environmentally sound materials, that pose no risk to health, in the house building sector. Up to now, however, the industry has been faced with the problem that solvent-free construction and assembly adhesives could not satisfy the requirements of the market. Henkel has now established the first high performance, water-based assembly adhesive in the North American market. The instant adhesion of Loctite PowerGrab is, moreover, nine times higher than that of conventional assembly adhesives. The low-odor adhesive can also be cleaned up with water. Measured by market unit sales, the use of Loctite PowerGrab instead of conventional, solvent-based assembly adhesives reduced the level of emissions released in adhesive construction work by 430 tons in 2006.

Books, kitchen cabinet facings, dishwashing sponges, and fixtures in mobile homes are all held together by reactive polyurethane hotmelts. These adhesives offer many advantages, as they contain no solvents, act quickly, form very strong bonds, and are resistant to heat. They do have one drawback, however: The vapors released when they are used can be a risk to health if the specified protective measures are not taken. To improve occupational health and safety when hotmelts are used, we have created an alternative. The new Purmelt MicroEmission hotmelt reduces vapor emissions during processing to a minimum. Compared with conventional polyurethane hotmelts, Purmelt MicroEmission releases 90 percent less vapor, and therefore does not have to be labeled as hazardous. Purmelt MicroEmission thus makes a major contribution to improving occupational health and safety in plants where adhesives are processed.  This is confirmed by workers’ compensation funds and other independent bodies, such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing and Advanced Materials.

In October 2003, Henkel took over the Mexican adhesives producer Resistol. Some of Resistol´s contact adhesives contain the solvent toluene, which can be misused as an intoxicant by glue sniffers. After the acquisition had been finalized, Henkel immediately developed a strategy, tailored to the Mexican market, to replace toluene in the contact adhesive formulations.

A crucial success factor is the positive communication of these changes to consumers and craftsmen. Confidence in product performance must be maintained by sensitively carrying out and explaining adjustments to the formulations. Consumers will only accept successfully communicated changes that offer clear advantages. Through extensive surveys, Henkel identified customers´ product expectations. On the basis of this information, it developed a new formulation for a Mexican contact adhesive. This new adhesive is toluene-free and offers much shorter drying times - convincing advantages over its predecessor.

In the long term, Henkel is working toward eliminating the use of toluene in all of its consumer and craftsmen adhesives in Mexico. When designing new toluene-free formulations, we can build on extensive experience gathered in the Chilean market. Henkel Chile stopped using toluene in the production of adhesives at its Santiago site in 1995. For this pioneering role in dispensing with toluene, the Chilean Minister of Health presented Henkel with the national health award in December 1998.

As a leading supplier of flooring adhesives, Henkel Bautechnik joined with eight other producers in 1997 to found the Gemeinschaft emissionskontrollierter Verlegewerkstoffe (quality association for emission-controlled flooring adhesives). Its objective was to promote the use of extremely low-emission and low-odor adhesives by means of uniform labeling. Since then, planners, craftsmen and home owners have had the assurance that the EMICODE EC1 label is their best safeguard against indoor air pollution. Henkel now markets EC1 adhesives in 23 countries. Today, more than 70% of flooring adhesives sold in Germany carry the EMICODE EC1 quality mark.

Assembly adhesives are a powerful alternative to tiresome and dirty operations such as drilling and fastening with screws or nails, and are gaining in popularity. There is just one thing that often puts DIY enthusiasts off. Once the components have been bonded, they are very difficult to separate again. Under the Pattex brand, Henkel is presenting a new, removable power assembly adhesive. The specially developed formulation allows the bonded surfaces to be separated with a simple kitchen knife or spatula, even after several years. Residual adhesive can then simply be washed off a smooth surface using an ordinary household cleaner, or painted over if the surface is porous. This is an unbeatable advantage for DIYers who want to furnish and fashion their homes flexibly. In the hard-fought DIY market, Henkel successfully launched the product in early 2005, first in the Benelux countries and then in Italy. In 2006, it became available in Germany, too, and other countries will follow.

For our building materials specialists, quality does not stop with the development and sale of high performance products. Henkel also wants to help craftsmen to use these products as effectively as possible. In many countries, there is still no uniform system for training craftsmen, so there are often deficits in their technical background knowledge.

This is why we offer training courses all around the world. In Central and Eastern Europe, for example, we are building vocational and advanced training centers for craftsmen throughout the entire region. In the Ukraine and Russia, Henkel Ceresit has already established more than 27 Engineering Technological Centers. Over 30 more are to be created by the end of 2007. At the centers, craftsmen learn how to use Ceresit construction products as efficiently as possible, especially when installing heat insulating systems to façades. In cooperation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Education, Henkel construction professionals are also helping to train the next generation of craftsmen at state vocational schools. New quality standards are thus being established step by step.

As part of the close cooperation between Ceresit and craftsmen and construction experts, we attach great importance to an open dialogue. Informed feedback from users helps us to improve our products still further and is a source of new ideas.

The transition from product- to service-oriented business models is gaining in importance at Henkel.
Expertise, service, and technical know-how increasingly complement the sale of material goods.

One example is Henkel’s Chemicals Management concept in the USA. Over and above the sale of our products, we offer customers an integrated system which covers all production-related aspects of the use of chemicals. A team of 115 Henkel experts in Nashville, Tennessee, supports customers regarding the choice, processing and disposal of chemicals. 80 of them function as mobile consultants who provide direct, on-site assistance to companies nationwide.

Henkel’s professional and technical expertise in dealing with chemicals helps customers to improve their processes, cut their costs, and protect the environment. For example, Henkel has introduced new quality checks at some customers’ sites which help to reduce resource consumption and error margins during production. Programs are devised and implemented jointly to ensure the correct disposal of chemicals and compliance with environmental regulations.

On average, almost 22 percent of the heat in a house is lost through windows and doors. This is often due to inadequately sealed joints and connections to the adjoining masonry. In contrast, well insulated windows and doors keep the heat inside the rooms longer, thereby helping to lower energy consumption and heating costs. With the Windows  Technology Quality System (WINTeQ System), we have developed a range of products under the Teroson brand name for sealing the joints of wood, plastic and metal windows and doors. These products help to  considerably reduce energy losses from the home.

As a comprehensive approach to preventing heat losses, WINTeQ provides modular individual solutions for each problem. In addition to flexible insulating foams and sealants for joints and cavities, it offers compressed foam sealing strips and vaporpermeable sealing films for the outside of windows, as well as vapor-impermeable sealing films for the inside. Heat bridges and drafts are thus efficiently avoided, while buildings are simultaneously protected against dampness and mold. The heat that escapes through windows and doors, whether in old buildings or new, is reduced to a minimum.

WINTeQ helps craftsmen and construction professionals in Germany, for example, to satisfy the demanding requirements of the Energy Saving Ordinance. In 2006, the system was also launched in the USA. With the help of products adapted to North American construction methods, WINTeQ will help to cut energy consumption and thus greenhouse gas emissions in this region as well.

Climatic conditions in many regions of Mexico are extreme. In the north, the days are often very hot, with temperatures climbing far above 40 degrees Celsius. Air conditioning and fans bring some relief, but are expensive and consume a great deal of energy. As an alternative, Henkel has developed a roof coating that not only reliably seals the roof, but also protects the house against heat and thus helps to save costs. The coatings, which are applied directly to the roof like thick paint, lower the temperature in the building. Imperfácil, aimed at the DIY market, can bring about a reduction of up to eight degrees Celsius, and Acriton, for professionals, up to twelve. This is partly achieved through more efficient reflection of sunlight. The crucial element, however, is the use of a latent heat storage system. Small wax spheres in the coating melt and store the heat during the day. When the temperature falls, the wax releases this heat and is ready for the next hot day. Air conditioning and other thermal protection measures are therefore no longer needed or can be considerably scaled down.

In many countries in Eastern Europe, old buildings often lack thermal insulation. Henkel’s Ceresit thermal insulation systems solve this problem at relatively low cost and effort. Flexible system solutions from Ceresit can be readily customized to meet all of the individual requirements of insulating boards, adhesive mortar, and external plaster in a particularly effective way. The result: More comfortable housing and savings of up to 30 percent in heating costs.

The system can also be used to provide buildings with heat protection, therefore cutting the energy costs of air conditioning units. Through its acquisition of a shareholding in Polybit, a manufacturer of coating materials for the construction industry in the United Arab Emirates, Henkel now also has the local expertise to adapt this system to the needs of the Gulf region, so that it can be marketed there.

In close cooperation with partners and the automotive industry, Henkel is developing an alternative to zinc phosphating, which for decades has been the standard method for inhibiting corrosion of the sheet metal used for car bodies and providing a suitable substrate for surface coatings. With Bonderite NT, we have already established a qualitatively, ecologically and economically superior alternative to iron phosphating. The nanoceramic coating method is used, for example, in the production of refrigerators, office furniture, supermarket shelves, and agricultural machinery.

Now we are developing a solution that will enable us to offer these benefits to the automotive industry as well. The goal is to satisfy the extremely demanding requirements for car bodies and for the new method to be in use in the first car production lines within two years. The new technology is to offer the best possible protection against corrosion. In comparison with zinc phosphating, the new method should also significantly reduce energy consumption and – by drastically cutting the amount of heavy metals – the cost of wastewater treatment and disposal.

New vehicles are expected to be more comfortable and safer than their predecessors, but at the same time lighter and therefore more economical. Technologies from Henkel help car manufacturers to reconcile these contradictory requirements. Cooperation often starts in the design phase, years before the new model comes off the production line. The amount and positioning of Terokal structural adhesives and Terocore structural foams are jointly defined, so that the lightest possible car can be developed, but with maximum strength and optimal crash-resistance.

The use of direct glazing adhesives for example to fit car windshields has long been standard practice. The windshield thus contributes to the structural integrity of the car body. Structural adhesives are also increasingly being used alongside traditional joining techniques such as welding and riveting for other component parts. They distribute loads evenly over a larger area, absorb impact energy more effectively if an accident should occur, and create stronger and stiffer bonds. Moreover, Terokal structural adhesives can also be used to join different materials such as steel and aluminum. Optimal utilization of the diverse properties of materials makes it possible to design vehicles that are much lighter and yet safer.

The development of lightweight and fuel-saving components is a key challenge for the aircraft industry. Henkel and Airbus are working together to develop the technologies for the next generation of planes combining light weight with higher capacity. Composites, usually made of carbon-fiber-reinforced resins, are one option that presents itself. To ensure superior performance, they have to be cured under pressure in special ovens. Up to now, they have therefore been difficult and expensive to manufacture.

With an innovative resin technology, Henkel aims to establish the basis for using these lightweight materials on an industrial scale. This should even make it possible to utilize fiber-reinforced composites for aircraft wings and fuselages. The new resins will be easier and safer to handle, and capable of curing within minutes at room temperature. Their greater rigidity, lower weight, and less complex processing methods will benefit both aircraft manufacturers and airlines. The new materials should bring about significant cuts in production costs and in fuel consumption over an aircraft´s service life.

Use of the new materials in the fuselages of the next aircraft generation, for example the A380, is expected to reduce their weight by 30 percent - and costs by 40 percent. As a partner to Airbus and a systems supplier offering surface treatment and bonding technologies to the aircraft industry, Henkel is thus opening up a new market with excellent growth prospects.

Plant and machinery represent considerable financial investments. Downtimes in production due to malfunctions or other disturbances usually entail costly consequences. The long-term conservation of production equipment is therefore of utmost importance. Loctite products make a significant contribution toward keeping the equipment in good condition and avoiding risks.

In the case of a U.S. steel company, Loctite products helped to considerably shorten the downtime of an industrial pump and reduce costs. During a routine inspection, the company found severe signs of wear in the body of a cooling tower pump. The calculated time for repair and corrective maintenance would have been five weeks. With the aid of Loctite, however, the damage was repaired within a few hours. First, dirt was removed from the pump housing with Loctite Cleaner & Degreaser. Loctite Fixmaster Superior Metal was then applied to offset the unevenness caused by abrasion. Finally, the ceramic coating Loctite Nordbak was applied to the pump housing to create a surface with little friction and protect the pump from future abrasion.

In Europe and the USA, wind energy is second only to hydroenergy as an alternative source of power. The rotor blades of wind turbines, which can be up to 60 meters long, are made from fiber-reinforced plastics using special molds. The molds subsequently have to be cleaned, usually manually, with the help of a variety of solvents. Drawing on its experience of surface cleaning technologies and the processing of composite materials, Henkel developed the surfactant-based cleaner Frekote 915 WB. It contains 70 percent less solvent and is gentle to the sensitive surfaces. Frekote 915 WB leaves no residues and cleans the molds much more efficiently and quickly. Just one year after launching this product, Henkel has established itself as one of the leading producers of cleaners for molds used in the production of rotor blades and other fiber-reinforced plastic components. The product rollout has already started in Europe, Asia and the USA.

Solar power is one of the most important renewable energies. At present, however, only a fraction of its potential is being tapped. Up to now, it has not been possible to use many large surfaces in metropolitan areas – such as the flat roofs of warehouses, shopping malls, schools, and office buildings – as they are not designed to support the weight of conventional solar cells and their fastenings.Solar Integrated Technologies (SIT) of California (USA), is now offering flexible, lightweight, thin solar cells on roofing membranes as a solution to this problem. Henkel, as its strategic partner, is making a major contribution through its industrial adhesives. Purmelt and Macromelt hotmelts securely bond the solar cells and their electrical wiring to the roofing membranes and offer lasting resistance to the elements and ultraviolet solar radiation. The solar cells can be simply rolled out on flat roofs and connected to any number of additional modules.

Conditions in cooling water circuits provide an ideal environment for the growth of microorganisms. In the course of time, they form a biofilm on the walls of the water pipes that can reduce the efficiency of the system and attack the materials. The water is therefore treated to prevent this. To be on the safe side, more biocides than necessary are often used. To ensure that these biocides are applied in the most effective and economical manner possible, Henkel has developed a method for monitoring the formation of biofilms, which makes time-consuming laboratory tests unnecessary. Standardized strips of stainless steel, known as biofilm coupons, are inserted into the cooling systems and replaced at regular intervals. The removed coupon is dipped into a reagent, which causes the biofilm to change color. The resulting color is then compared with a defined color scale. Changes can therefore be recognized in good time, enabling suitable action to be taken. Henkel has marketed the HydroBio test kit in Europe since mid-2005. By the end of the year, the coupons were being used successfully by twelve industrial customers.