Dr Janine Thoma
Trainee for Adhesives and Sealants, Omya International
Janine Thoma received her Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Waterloo, Canada. She subsequently joined the Cellulose & Wood Materials group at Empa in Switzerland as a postdoctoral researcher, where she investigated debonding mechanisms in polyurethane/urea structural adhesives.
Currently, Janine is working at Omya in the technical services laboratory dedicated to adhesives and sealants. She focuses on the formulation of various adhesive and sealant systems based on silane-modified polymers (SMP), silicones, and polyurethane chemistries.
Lightweighting Adhesive and Sealants with Hollow Glass Microspheres: Support Functional Properties while Improving Sustainability.
Lightweight fillers, such as hollow microspheres, offer a solution to reduce the density of materials. These fillers enhance the performance of adhesives and sealants, while maintaining mechanical strength while improving rheological properties and ease of application. Furthermore, lighter materials enable more efficient transportation from production to end-users. Our presentation will explore case studies in adhesives and reactive sealants, showcasing how these lightweight solutions replace traditional fillers, resulting in substantial density reduction in final formulations. By incorporating such innovations, companies can potentially reduce CO2 emissions during transport, aligning with global sustainability initiatives. Transportation contributes significantly to energy emissions, with goods transport alone responsible up to a quarter of such emissions. Join us to learn more about the practical applications utilizing hollow microspheres in adhesive and sealant formulations also addressing the carbon footprint topic from formulation to the end usage.
Co-authors: Andreas Schuler; Christopher Dobbins
Breakout II – Research & Development – 11 September 2025 – 14:30 – 15:00 – Room 1