Freudenberg FACT bonding without wet chemicals

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies introduces FACT, short for Freudenberg Adhesive Clean Technology. It is a new surface treatment for components in which elastomers are bonded to metals or plastics, without the use of traditional wet-chemical bonding processes.

Conventional bonding often requires solvents and binders to achieve reliable adhesion between the elastomer and the substrate. FACT takes a different approach. The technology modifies the surface of the component at a microscopic level, after which it is immediately ready for vulcanization or bonding with elastomers.

Fewer process steps, fewer chemicals

The main difference lies in eliminating wet-chemical process steps. According to Freudenberg, solvents and binders are no longer needed with FACT. This makes the process not only cleaner, but also easier to control.

Fewer process steps also mean a lower risk of errors during production. This is relevant for applications where bonding quality is critical, for example in components that come into long-term contact with oil, water, AdBlue™ or hydrogen.

Suitable for new material combinations

FACT was developed for bonds between elastomers and substrates made of ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and various plastics. This enables combinations that were more difficult or not feasible with traditional processes.

According to Freudenberg, the treated surfaces retain their adhesion and flexibility even under high loads and at temperatures down to -40 °C. No microcracks are said to occur. Online process monitoring should also ensure traceability and consistent quality in production.

Lower CO₂ footprint in the coating process

Freudenberg explicitly links FACT to a lower environmental impact. In a life cycle assessment, an emissions-intensive wet-chemical coating process was taken as the 100% reference. An alternative process with a different binder came out at 65.2% of that reference. According to Freudenberg, FACT came out at 1.1%.

This difference is mainly due to the fact that less material, less energy and fewer chemical auxiliaries are needed in the pretreatment. For customers, this can also affect the Total Cost of Ownership, because the production process is designed more efficiently.

Applications in mobility and energy storage

According to Freudenberg, the technology can be used widely in drive and energy storage systems. This includes applications on the road, in aviation, at sea and in battery technology, for example for e-bikes.

For sealing technology, the combination is particularly interesting: better adhesion, fewer chemical process steps and more design freedom in elastomer bonds. FACT shows that innovation in sealing technology does not only come from new materials, but also from smarter production processes.

Source 

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. (2026, April 22). FACT surface technology for the environment: An adhesive bonding process without wet-chemicals. https://www.fst.com/news-stories/press-releases/2026/fact-surface-technology-for-the-environment/