Hotmelt Adhesives and Reactive Hotmelt Adhesives in Industry

A History of Evolution

Hotmelt and reactive hotmelt adhesives score for their high level of customizability

Every adhesive joint, including its production process, has its own specific requirements. Countless converting processes realize countless joining methods. In industry, hotmelt adhesives have proven to be particularly adaptable.  Typical industrial sectors in which hotmelt adhesives are in use are listed below.

Non-reactive hotmelt adhesives

Non-reactive hotmelt adhesives are based on a thermoplastic base polymer. By adding further components, the adhesive can be precisely formulated to meet a desired requirement profile. These additives are usually synthetic resins, oils or waxes. Non-reactive hotmelt adhesives include, for example, EVA hotmelt adhesives, polyamide hotmelt adhesives or polyolefin hotmelt adhesives.

Reactive hotmelt adhesives

Technically advanced and incredibly adaptable are reactive hotmelt adhesive systems. These have several advantages over non-reactive adhesive systems. In addition to the physical curing of the hotmelt, a chemical reaction also takes place. The adhesive can no longer be melted after the chemical reaction, which has a positive effect on the quality of the bond in many respects. Reactive PUR hotmelts, for example, are highly resistant to temperature, water and mechanical stresses. The high flexibility in the adhesive formulation enables tailor-made adhesive systems to meet particularly high requirement profiles.

Reactive polyurethane hotmelt adhesives (PUR hotmelt adhesives)

Applications with reactive polyurethane adhesive systems are the highest level in adhesive technology. In the last decades, reactive polyurethane adhesive systems have developed strongly. With the right know-how, adhesive bonds of the highest quality can be realized. Such an adhesive bond has an enormous resistance to external influences. These are, for example, strongly fluctuating temperatures, continuous mechanical loads and resistance to chemicals.

Reactive PUR hotmelt adhesives enable extremely strong adhesive bonds, with perfectly coordinated production processes.

Reactive Hotmelt Adhesives in Micro-Emission Quality

Emission-reduced products are currently setting the trend in the market for reactive hotmelt adhesives. In the context of the REACH regulation, the European Union has decided to make the handling of PUR adhesives even safer. The REACH regulation is intended to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can arise from chemicals. Furthermore, a general interest in low-pollutant and more environmentally friendly products is ensuring an increasing demand for emission-reduced PUR hotmelts.

In terms of bonding quality and processing properties, emission-reduced hotmelts offer identically good properties. In addition, they offer the following advantages:

• More environmentally friendly manufacturing process
• No labeling obligation with P and H phrases
• Safe and easy handling
• More cost-effective plant technology thanks to simplified extraction systems
• Identical bonding properties

Biobased Hotmelt Adhesives

PUR adhesive systems based on sustainable, plant-based raw materials are also on the rise. The important thing here is that the plant-based raw materials used are not suitable for food production. With bio-based hotmelt adhesives, excellent bonding performance can be expected, just as with conventional PUR hotmelts.

Adhesive bonding as the joining technology of the future

In recent decades, hotmelt adhesives have revolutionized joining technology.  Adhesive bonding is still considered a very promising joining technique, with decisive advantages over many other joining methods. An ever-growing variety of different materials meets an enormously adaptable adhesive technology. The result is joints that are perfectly matched to the application and can be realized in a very economical production process.