RECENT ADVANCES IN ACRYLIC HOT-MELT, PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TECHNOLOGY

In the late 1970s, the first acrylic hot-melt, pressure-sensitive adhesive was introducede. It offered traditional advantages of acrylic pressure-sensitive products with respect to color, clarity, and permanence of properties when compred to rubber-resin hot melts. However, the product offered a modest balance of pressure-sensitive properties and limited strength at elevated temperatures. During 1983, a new patented acrylic hot-melt adhesive technology was introduced, offering a thermally reversible crosslinking mechanism which moved this technology into a higher performance category. In recent months, progress has been made in the enhancement of ultraviolet stability for this new product and the development of prototypes of greater cohesive strength. In the months and years ahead, this family of hot-melt adhesives will be further expanded.