White Paper: Materials
Adhesives for Automotive Electronics
SPONSORED BY: ![]()
The rise of electric vehicles and driver aids along with the proliferation of electronic sensors and safety features point towards continued growth in automotive electronics. Due to their lightweight, functional properties, adhesives, encapsulants and coatings will be of increased importance for use in structural bonding, as well as in non-structural applications for electronic, optical and mechanical components in electric vehicle manufacturing. Read more about the properties, uses and future developments of these compounds as they pertain to the automotive industry.
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Overview
This Master Bond whitepaper discusses the critical role of advanced adhesives, sealants, and encapsulants in the evolving automotive electronics and electric vehicle (EV) sectors. It outlines how adhesives contribute to structural bonding, sensor integration, thermal management, and protection of battery systems, highlighting their increasing importance amid the rising proliferation of EVs and complex electronic safety features.
From the 1950s mechanical cars to today's electronics-rich vehicles, the industry has shifted towards sophisticated integrated circuits controlling vehicle functions and driver-assist systems. The projected growth of EVs in the US—from 1 million in 2018 to an estimated 18.7 million by 2030—drives demand for materials that enhance battery safety, efficiency, and durability. Adhesives help reduce vehicle weight compared to mechanical fasteners, distribute stresses over bonded areas, dampen vibrations, and seal against environmental contaminants.
Key attributes of automotive adhesives include mechanical strength, tailored modulus for stress mitigation, excellent adhesion to diverse substrates, and controlled thermal expansion to reduce stress from temperature cycles. Epoxy and silicone adhesives are common, with epoxy excelling in structural and electronic encapsulation roles due to high thermal resistance and strength.
Thermal management is vital; adhesives incorporating thermally conductive fillers like alumina enable efficient heat dissipation from batteries and electronic components while maintaining electrical insulation. Thermal gap fillers replace air gaps to improve heat transfer and provide vibration damping. Flame retardancy, increasingly achieved with halogen-free additives, ensures safety at elevated temperatures.
The paper also highlights innovations such as dual-cure (UV plus heat) adhesives to improve manufacturing speed and efficiency, and nano-filler technology to enhance thermal and electrical properties at the polymer-filler interface. Additive manufacturing, especially 3D printing with UV-curable adhesives, is emerging as a promising production method for complex automotive parts.
Additionally, electrically conductive adhesives with metallic fillers provide lightweight electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and grounding solutions, critical for protecting sophisticated electronic systems.
In summary, Master Bond emphasizes that advanced adhesives are indispensable in the automotive electronics landscape—enabling lighter, safer, more reliable electric vehicles by improving structural bonding, environmental protection, thermal management, and electronic performance while meeting stringent environmental regulations like RoHS.