Abstract
The vast majority of hot melts are non-reactive, that is, they remain thermoplastic during use. To achieve adequate strength from a non-reactive hot melt, some component of the adhesive must separate out into a dispersed hard phase upon cooling. The hard phases are commonly either glassy styrene domains (for adhesives based on styrenic block copolymers) or organic crystallites (for adhesives based on waxes or olefinic copolymers or ethylene copolymers). This chapter describes the chemistry of the raw materials used in hot melts, and discusses typical formulations and general considerations for each of the major applications. It also discusses reactive hot melts, a small but rapidly growing class of hot melts, in a separate section because these involve unique raw materials and formulating considerations. The chapter presents a brief section on equipment and test methods, followed by a discussion on the overall trends in hot melt development. The highest volume applications for hot melts are in the packaging and converting markets.
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