David Rodrigues
Manager Global Adhesives Sealants Construction R&D, Elementis Ltd
David Rodrigues is Global R&D Manager for Adhesives, Sealants and Construction at Elementis, where he leads global research and development activities focused on sustainable formulation solutions and specialty additives for construction materials, sealants, and adhesive applications. He is responsible for driving innovation, technical strategy, customer engagement, and the development of new technologies across multiple regions.
David has more than 20 years of experience in materials science, adhesives, coatings, polymers, and surface engineering. Prior to joining Elementis, he held technical and leadership positions at H.B. Fuller, Jaguar Land Rover, Oxford Brookes University, and the Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC). His expertise spans adhesive formulation, rheology modification, adhesion science, durability testing, surface characterization, and sustainable materials development.
David holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Oxford Brookes University and has authored numerous technical publications and conference presentations related to adhesion science, advanced materials, and sustainable joining technologies.
Low-Temperature Organic Thixotropes Enhancing Sustainability for Future Sealants
Manufacturing solvent free sealants increasingly requires processing routes that are robust, flexible, and tolerant to temperature sensitive formulation components. Conventional organic thixotropes based on castor and diamide wax chemistries are well established, but their use commonly relies on high activation temperatures, extended mixing, and subsequent cooling steps. New sealants market trend is looking for innovative and low-environmental impact chemistries, emission reduction and, in whole, looking for improving sustainable profile of final formulation in all directions: easy production, no waste, low environmental impact and longer durability at final application. Here is where the most advanced, third generation organic thixotropes, is taking the stage. In fact, low activation organic thixotrope technology enable new sealants formulations and new processing design approaches, by enlarging the processing window and improving manufacturing robustness. The latest series of THIXATROL are designed on improved amide wax technology and had proven to build structure effectively at low activation temperature and without the need for external heating, thereby reducing the overall energy input required during processing and leading to larger capacity in general. Different grades can be selected depending on formulation and processing conditions. Benchmarking studies in hybrid polymer based sealant formulations show that the low temperature thixotrope provide thixotropic / pseudoplastic flow and structural recovery out-performing conventional organic thixotrope and enabling low process temperatures. Also in comparation with commonly used rheological additives based in silica, we have evidence that THIXATROL series is higher in efficiency and make production easy, cleaner and safer. Storage stability evaluations after exposure to elevated temperatures further indicate consistent retention of rheological properties, supporting stable application behavior over time.
Breakout Session XV – Next-Generation Adhesives & Sealants Chemistry – 18 September 2026 – 12:00 – 12:30 – Room Churchill – GF