Pressure-sensitive adhesives materials

Among the different pressure sensitive adhesives, acrylates are unique because they are one of the few materials that can be synthesized to be inherently tacky. Indeed, polyvinylethers, some amorphous polyolefins, and some ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers are the only other polymers that share this unique property. Because of the access to a wide range of commercial monomers, their relatively low cost, and their ease of polymerization, acrylates have become the dominant single component pressure sensitive adhesive materials used in the industry. Other PSAs, such as those based on natural rubber or synthetic block copolymers with rubbery midblock require compounding of the elastomer with low molecular weight additives such as tackifiers, oils, and/or plasticizers. The absence of these low molecular weight additives can have some desirable advantages, such as ... 

The earliest references to pressure sensitive adhesive materials probably date to the medical plasters (i.e. single dressings) first devised in the early decades of the 1800s. These dressings were often a combination of a natural rubber PSA and a medication impregnated onto a bandage material. 

Pressure-sensitive adhesives D W AUBREY Nature of pressure-sensitive adhesion, materials used... 

Cellulosics. CeUulosic adhesives are obtained by modification of cellulose [9004-34-6] (qv) which comes from cotton linters and wood pulp. Cellulose can be nitrated to provide cellulose nitrate [9004-70-0] which is soluble in organic solvents. When cellulose nitrate is dissolved in amyl acetate [628-63-7] for example, a general purpose solvent-based adhesive which is both waterproof and flexible is formed. Cellulose esterification leads to materials such as cellulose acetate [9004-35-7], which has been used as a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape backing. Cellulose can also be ethoxylated, providing hydroxyethylceUulose which is useful as a thickening agent for poly(vinyl acetate) emulsion adhesives. Etherification leads to materials such as methylceUulose [9004-67-5] which are soluble in water and can be modified with glyceral [56-81-5] to produce adhesives used as wallpaper paste (see Cellulose esters Cellulose ethers). 

Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives. A pressure-sensitive adhesive, a material which adheres with no more than appHed finger pressure, is aggressively and permanently tacky. It requkes no activation other than the finger pressure, exerts a strong holding force, and should be removeable from a smooth surface without leaving a residue. 

Ziac foil coated with a conductive, pressure-sensitive adhesive is used for repair of other ziac coatings or for imparting corrosion resistance at field sites. The 0.08-mm ziac tape or sheet has a 0.025-mm coaductive adhesive. The laminate is cut to size and pressed tightly to activate the adhesive. Conductive tape can be wrapped around pipe, especially around welds or connections. The corrosion resistance of this material is iatermediate between galvanized or thermally sprayed coatings and zinc-filled paints (21,50). 

Adhesive Transfer Processes. Many polymers, whether dehberately or accidentally, are adhesives, so that much of the adhesive industry can be regarded as a part of the mbber and plastics industry. However, there are several important material-transfer appHcations involving polymer products that are so critically dependent on controlled adhesion that they merit specific mention in that category. They include hot stamping foils, release coatings for pressure-sensitive adhesive products, photocopier materials, transfer coatings, and transfer printing of textiles. 

Sihcone products dominate the pressure-sensitive adhesive release paper market, but other materials such as Quilon (E.I. du Pont de Nemours Co., Inc.), a Werner-type chromium complex, stearato chromic chloride [12768-56-8] are also used. Various base papers are used, including polyethylene-coated kraft as well as polymer substrates such as polyethylene or polyester film. Sihcone coatings that cross-link to form a film and also bond to the cellulose are used in various forms, such as solvent and solventless dispersions and emulsions. Technical requirements for the coated papers include good release, no contamination of the adhesive being protected, no blocking in roUs, good solvent holdout with respect to adhesives appHed from solvent, and good thermal and dimensional stabiUty (see Silicon COMPOUNDS, silicones). 

Another major area of use is in the field of adhesives. The main attractions of the material are the absence of a need for mastication, easy solvation of the polymer, which is supplied in a crumb form, the production of low-viscosity solutions and high joint strength. In conjunction with aromatic resins they are used for contact adhesives whilst with aliphatic resin additives they are used for permanently tacky pressure-sensitive adhesives. In addition to being applied from solution they may be applied as a hot melt. 

While there are a large number of elastomers that can be formulated into pressure sensitive adhesives, the following list is intended to focus on commercially significant materials. Two subsets are differentiated in Table 1 those polymers that can be inherently tacky, and those that require modification with tackifiers to meet the Tg and modulus criteria to become pressure sensitive. 

Acrylics are some of the most common and most versatile materials used in the PSA industry. Although the basic monomers and some of the acrylic polymers have been known for about a century, their commercial application as pressure sensitive adhesives did not happen until after the Second World War. 

Silicones are probably best known for their application as sealants and as release materials for pressure sensitive adhesives [107]. The silicone polymer combines an inorganic backbone made from silicon-oxygen bonds with organic substitution on the silicon atom. This repeating unit, shown below is called a siloxane. 

Besides the higher volume pressure sensitive adhesives discussed above, the industry also uses other synthetic elastomers as the base component for PSA formulation. Most of these elastomers require some form of tackification to make the materials tacky. However, a few materials are low enough in Tg and sufficiently compliant to be useful without requiring compounding with tackifiers. 

Release coatings are important components of pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) products such as tapes and labels [1]. Release materials are coated onto the backside of PSA tape backings (often called low adhesion backsizes or LABs in this form) to provide the desired tape roll unwind force. They are also coated onto various substrates to form release liners for PSA products such as labels and transfer tapes. Typically the thickness of the release coating is less than 1 p,m, and often times less than 0.1 jLm. Release coatings can be thought of as the PSA delivery system, providing a controlled unwind or release force and protecting the adhesive from contamination and unintentional contact until it is applied. 

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) based on acrylic, natural rubber and silicone are employed primarily for ease of application. To name Just a few applications, PSAs bond decals to surfaces, interior decorative surfaces to interior panels, interior trim pieces in place directly or hook and loop tape for the same purpose, structural shims in place during manufacturing and acoustic (sound deadening) materials to body skin interior surfaces. Tape products with pressure-sensitive adhesive on one or both surfaces are used for such functions as cargo compartment sealing, as a fluid barrier to prevent spills and leaks in the lavatories and... 

The tacky polymeric microspheres that comprise the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers of repositionable notes are patented inventions. One such material (U.S. Patent 5,714,237) is prepared by a free-radical polymerization reaction of isooctyl acrylate (Fig. 14.3.1) in the presence of polyacrylic acid with a chain-... 

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