Dr. Matthias Steffen
R&D Group Leader Application Labs, Rain Carbon
Matthias Steffen is currently working as the Project Manager for Application Technology Adhesives at Rain Carbon Germany since 2018. In this position his focus is on the develop new application fields for hydrocarbon resins. In particular he focuses on reactive adhesives such as PUR or epoxy based systems.
Before joining Rain Carbon, Matthias worked as a research associate at the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, from November 2015 to June 2018. This research project was carried out in collaboration with H.B. Fuller. Based on this work Matthias received a Ph.D. from Technische Universität Braunschweig.
Enhancing Epoxy-Adhesive Performance with Hydrocarbon Resins
Integrating hydrocarbon resins into epoxy based adhesive formulations significantly enhances the performance. This study explores the benefits of hydrocarbon resins, focusing on adhesion, mechanical properties, curing process and corrosion resistance. Experiments evaluated solid and liquid hydrocarbon resins, including C9, AMS and Indene- based resins in non-modified and phenol modified forms. Results showed notable improvements in mechanical strength, crucial for dynamic stress applications. Improved adhesion to substrates like aluminum or concrete and a better corrosion resistance was also found. A newly developed unique phenol-based aromatic resin was found to be cross-linkable with epoxy resins under heat curing, opening a new field of formulation possibilities. This research highlights the possibilities to optimize epoxy adhesive with hydrocarbon based resins and modifiers and how this knowledge could be used diverse fields of applications.
Breakout V – New Approaches in Structural Bonding – 11 September 2025 – 16:00 – 16:30 – Chamber Hall