ETHYLENE CO-POLYMERS - IMPROVED PERFORMANCE FOR AN OLD MOLECULE

Adhesives technology has advanced over the years from an empirical art to a sophisticated quantitative science. Hot melts, relatively new on the scene, have advanced at such a rate they are replacing solvent and aqueous systems in many areas of application. A major portion of hot melt adhesives and coatings in use today have their roots in polyolefin chemistry. This paper reports on recent advances in polymer chemistry, based on ethylene. Among others, the properties of two copolymers are presumed and evaluated on terms of their hot-melt adhesive properties - Elvax II ethylene copolymers, and ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers. These copolymers are thermally stable and have carboxylic acid functionality. The characteristics of these polymers present the formulator with an opportunity to develop systems with properties not attainable with currently available ethylene-based resins. The compatibility of these polymers with many of the polymeric components currently utilized in hot melts broadens the formulator's options.