Edward E. LaFleur

Hot-melt adhesives

Hot-melt adhesives facilitate fast production processes because the adhesives set simply by cooling. Formulations contain polymers to provide strength and hot tack (resistance to separation while adhesive is hot), and tackifiers and/or oils to dilute the polymer entanglement network, adjust the glass-transition temperature, lower the viscosity, and improve wet-out (molecular contact of the adhesive with the substrate over the entire bonding area). Some adhesives also contain waxes to speed setting, lower viscosity, and improve heat resistance. Obtaining adequate strength and heat resistance from nonreactive hot melts requires that some component of the hot melt separate out into a dispersed but interconnected hard-phase network upon cooling. The hard phases are commonly either glassy styrene domains (for adhesives based on styrenic block copolymers) or organic crystallites (for adhesives based on waxes, olefinic copolymers, or ethylene copolymers). This article will describe first the material properties relevant to the processing and performance of hot-melt adhesives, then the chemistry and function of the specific raw materials used in hot melts, and will conclude with illustrative application examples and corresponding formulations.