Introduction to Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Technology

Process Engineering Technical Training Series

CC Lee Principal Consultant

2006 LEVERA Pte Ltd

Definition of PSA
(Pressure Sensitive Adhesives) A special class of adhesive that is: Permanently tacky at Room Temperature Spontaneously adhere on contact or with little pressure Require no activation by water, solvent or heat to form a strong bond

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PSA Polymers Life Cycle

Maturity
Hot Melts of

Age
Solvent Solutions of Rubber/Resin Acrylic

Growth
Emulsions of Acrylic copolymers SB copolymers

SIS/SBS block Copolymers

Infancy
Hot Melts of UV radiation cured Acrylic

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Common PSA Classification

Solvent Silicone Acrylic Rubber
High Temperature Specialty Few

Emulsion
None

Hot Melt
None

UV Hot Melt
None

Most Common Few

Developmental Common

Emerging Emerging

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Typical PSA Polymer Performance

100 90 80

UV Acrylic Emulsion Acrylic Hot Melt SBS/SIS

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

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2006 LEVERA Pte Ltd

Common PSA coating methods

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Capabilities / Limitations of Common Coating Methods

Coating Method Viscosity,> cps Coating Weight, gm/m2 15-100 25-750 25-250 2-50 15-750. 20-700 20-500 Coating Accuracy, +/- % 10 10 5 2 5 2 2 Coating Speed, m/min 100-150 100-400 100-700 100-700 300-700 100-300 100-500 Type of Adhesives Commonly Used

Wire rod Knife over roll Reverse roll Gravure Extrusion die Slot die Curtain

100-1,000 4,00050,000 300-50,000 15-1500 400500,000. 400200,000 50,000125,000

Solution, emulsion Solution, emulsion,100% solids Solution, emulsion Solution, emulsion Emulsion, hot melt, 100% solids Emulsion, hot melt, 100% solids Emulsion, hot melt

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Variation of Adhesion with Coat Weight

12
Adhesion (N/25mm)

10 8 6 4 2 0
2 6 10 14 18 22 26 30

Adhesive Coat Weight (gsm)

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Typical Emulsion PSA Materials Manufacturing Process

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Emulsion PSA Label Manufacturing Process

UV Radiation

Adhesive Oven Corona Discharge

Corona Discharge

5 Rollers Silicone Coater Liner Unwind

Vario Gravure Adhesive Coater Product Rewind

Laminator Facestock Unwind

Face-stock Adhesive Silicone Release Liner

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Emulsion Vario Gravure Coater

Backing roll Speed Ratio
Application roll / Line Speed Ratio Range: 1.1 -1.3

Gravure roll Application roll

Feed box
Pressure Range: 0.2 -0.6 bar Above Atmospheric Pressure

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Rev erse Grav ue Coat Weight Chart

85 80 75 70 65 60

W t C a W ig t (g m e ot e h s )

55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

25 28 30 45 55 65 90

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

Speed Ratio

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Relative Effects of Parameters on the Evaporation Time of Polymer -Water Mixtures

Parameter Relative humidity, % Temperature, C Air speed, l/min Water content, % Other Range Investigated 10-90 20-40 10-30 60-100 Effect on Evaporation Rate % 60.2 20.2 1.6 <0.1 10.2

The combination of hot air and infrared radiation are well suited for the accelerated drying of waterborne adhesives and coatings. This is probably the most effective variation in formulation or production to gain a large improvement in speed. The hot air primarily affects the coating surface while the IR radiation, depending on the wavelength can penetrate into the deeper layers of the coating. With the IR method, favored evaporation of water can be achieved through irradiation in the OH band region

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Adhesive Drying Chart

170 160 150

Water Content gsm

10 140 Oven Temperature oC 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 Line Speed
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12 14 16 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Formulation of Emulsion PSA

Plasticizer Thickener/ Water Ammonia Tackifiers Base Dispersion

Wetting Agents Defoamers

QC: Solid Content pH Viscosity Wetting Foam

Storage Tank

Mixer Filter Pump

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Classification of Adhesive by Common Functions

High

High Tack & Adhesion Cold Temperature Adhesion/Tack

Low Low High
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General Purpose Permanent

Heat Resistant

Removable

Cohesion

Quality Control after Coating Process

Quantitative Criteria: 1. Adhesion 2. Initial Tack 3. Cohesion 4. Coat Weight Qualitative Criteria: 1. Adhesive Voids 2. Air Bubbles 3. Foreign Particles 4. Clarity

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