In response to the EU’s Right to Repair initiative, Apple has introduced electro-adhesion debonding tape in the iPhone 16 series. This new technology makes it easier for users to access and replace batteries in their iPhones.
Here, we highlight advances in debonding-on-demand (DoD) adhesives, with Apple’s innovation as a key example, and explore their growing role across industries.
What are debonding-on-demand adhesives?
Debonding-on-demand (DoD) adhesives form durable bonds that can be separated in a controlled and repeatable manner when necessary. This feature sets them apart from traditional adhesives and supports easy repairs, recycling, and disassembly across different applications.
How can debonding be achieved?
Debonding of adhesives requires the breaking of bonding compounds between materials. Here are the key processes to soften, weaken, or break down adhesive polymers :
- Heat activation: Some adhesives are designed to debond at specific temperatures. Heating causes the adhesive to lose strength, allowing bonded materials to separate without damage.
- Electro-adhesion: A low-voltage electric current weakens the bond, enabling controlled debonding without requiring physical force.
- UV light or laser exposure: Certain adhesives respond to UV light or laser, breaking down upon exposure.
- Chemical separation: Some adhesives dissolve when exposed to specific solvents or chemicals, enabling controlled debonding. This is particularly useful in applications needing temporary adhesion.
- Mechanical debonding: Debonding occurs through physical manipulation, utilizing controlled force or vibration.
What is the EU’s Right to Repair directive?
The EU’s Right to Repair directive mandates manufacturers provide affordable repair services. It aims to reduce waste by promoting longer product lifespans and enhancing consumer access to repair options. Consumers will benefit from extended guarantees and easier access to spare parts and repair information.
The directive requires manufacturers to supply tools and spare parts without restricting independent repairs. It encourages EU member states to promote repair options, like vouchers and community repair spaces. Apple is already complying with these rules by making iPhone batteries user-replaceable.
Apple is using electrical debonding to change iPhone batteries:
In previous iPhone models, the battery was typically glued to the phone’s frame with a strong adhesive. This made battery removal extremely challenging and time-consuming.
Apple has introduced an electrically-released tape adhesive in the iPhone 16, which bonds the battery to the phone’s frame. While the tape maintains a strong bond, it can be easily released by applying a small voltage (between 9V-12V for 60 seconds).
Once released, the battery can be removed without force or any adhesive residue. This streamlines the repair process and reduces the risk of damage during disassembly.
Why does Apple consider debonding adhesives as a strategic investment?
Beyond regulatory compliance, Apple’s use of debonding adhesives offers clear advantages. Here’s why this technology is valuable for enhancing efficiency:
- Longer product lifespan: Apple provides users with quicker disassembly for battery extraction and replacement, making repairs easier. iPhone users can now replace specific components rather than entire devices. This helps to increase the product lifespan and conserves materials.
- Streamlined recycling: The key advantages of easy disassembly are the quick separation of materials, the simplified recycling process, and waste reduction. Proper recycling of electronic components reduces disposal costs and enables reuse of materials.
- Energy and cost reduction: Repairing electronic components instead of replacing them reduces energy consumption and lowers costs, contributing to significant long-term savings.
Other recent developments in debonding adhesives:
Beyond Apple, other recent advancements in debonding-on-demand adhesives are emerging. Each offers unique capabilities for material separation and rebonding.
Tesa
Tesa SE is rumored to supply Apple with electric adhesion DoD tape. Tesa produces DoD adhesive solutions for the automotive, electronics, construction, and healthcare industries.
One example is tesa® Bond & Detach, used for display mounting, ADAS components, and EV systems. The tape can be removed with solvent or physical manipulation. It combines pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) with elastomeric materials and works on metals, plastics, glass, and high-value components.
IFAM
The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) has developed a DoD adhesive that releases upon exposure to electricity and heat.
The adhesive bond can be detached by applying direct current (48 V) and Heat (65 °C). After the treatment, the adhesively bonded joint is significantly weakened, with a residual strength of 0.1 N/mm². The DoD adhesive can be applied to metals, plastics, and other materials suitable for adhesive bonding.
LIST
The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has developed an intumescent flame-retardant epoxy, a thermally activated adhesive.
It uses melamine polyphosphate (MPP) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) additives to enable debonding. Both additives swell and foam under heat, creating pressure that forms cracks for easy disassembly. The epoxy-based adhesive suits aluminum, fiber-reinforced polymers, thermoplastics, and multi-material structures.
INDAR by RESCOLL
INDAR is a thermally activated debonding-on-demand (DoD) adhesive developed by RESCOLL.
The bond can be weakened or dismantled with heat and is compatible with metals, plastics, and composites. This technology aims to improve the repairability index of bonded structures. Since January 1, 2021, devices sold in France, such as smartphones and tablets, must display a repairability index to help consumers assess ease of repair.
Rapid debonding – University of New South Wales
Researchers at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, are developing rapid debonding. The contactless, rapid debonding and rebonding technology integrates magnetic particles into a plastic adhesive. This enables quick heating while maintaining bonding strength.
By incorporating ferrimagnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) into a poly(ethylene-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) adhesive, it can self-heat without losing lap shear strength. Originally designed for carbon fiber composites, it has potential applications in automotive and aerospace with other materials.
Applications of debonding adhesives across industries:
Debonding adhesives are gaining traction across industries due to their sustainable properties. Their ability to bond and separate materials efficiently makes them ideal for applications in sectors like automotive, electronics, and construction.
- Automotive: Henkel is developing debondable adhesives for electric vehicle batteries that can be thermally or electrically triggered for easy disassembly. This allows for efficient recovery of materials like lithium, cobalt, and graphite, improving recycling and repair processes.
Figure 1. The study highlights the application of DoD adhesives, focusing on their use across various substrates in two key industries: electronics and automotive.
- Electronics: Lohmann provides debonding-on-demand solutions for easy removal of components in consumer electronics. Their adhesive tapes enable quick, residue-free part removal, which is useful in devices needing regular maintenance or upgrades. An example is their use in scanner rails, where conventional adhesives leave behind residue.
- Packaging: Researchers at the Adolphe Merkle Institute have developed polymer-based materials that bond and debond on command using ultraviolet light. This process allows for easy separation of bonded components without causing damage, potentially making recycling easier and packaging more sustainable.
- Manufacturing: Tesa’s bond and debonding-on-demand tapes are used in construction to enable the easy removal and reattachment of components during manufacturing and repairs.
- Healthcare: 3M and Scapa Healthcare produce DoD medical adhesives, especially those offered as skin-friendly, medical-grade adhesives for wound care and prosthetics.
What’s next for debonding-on-demand technology?
Debonding-on-demand technology is more than just a response to regulations—it’s a strategic investment for circular economy and customer trust. Traditional adhesives make disassembly difficult, limiting recyclability and increasing waste. In contrast, debonding adhesives enable the separation of materials, improving recyclability and reducing environmental impact.
From 2020 to 2023, interest in this field has surged, with approximately 1,302 academic papers published and around 1,611 patents registered during the same period. This reflects significant progress and industry commitment to advancing DoD technology.
Adopting debonding-on-demand technology can be an alternative approach to signal to clients that the industry actively supports a greener future, strengthening both brand loyalty and environmental responsibility.
