Pure acrylic adhesives are mainly used in tapes whose applications are bonding, sealing or protecting surfaces. Acrylic adhesives are available in liquid or paste form. How do you know which one is right for your specific project? Liquid acrylic adhesives are commonly applied with a brush or damp cloth and are used for upholstery or woodworking applications. Liquid acrylic adhesives are more flexible and thinner, so projects that require a perfect appearance are best done with a liquid adhesive.
By offering a good balance of adhesion, shear and adhesion, tapes with acrylic adhesive systems are resistant to thermal and UV degradation. Meanwhile, hot melt tapes are ideal for machine application, as they unwind quickly, offer instant adhesion and excellent holding power during automatic packaging processes. That said, there are four basic types of adhesives used in tape, all of which differ in characteristics and cost. One of the differences is in the two types of adhesives used to make tapes stick, hot melt and acrylic.
A hot melt tape is ideal for applications involving machine-applied tapes, overfilled cartons or boards with a high degree of recycled content. These adhesives are manufactured with low viscosity, cohesion and adhesion, so they can be easily broken with water or adhesive removers, unlike traditional permanent acrylic adhesives. Solid acrylic adhesives can form the strongest adhesive bonds over a wide range of temperatures and even achieve adhesion to wet or wet substrates. In addition, adhesive tapes can protect your surface area, as there is no need to damage the surface with fasteners or screws.
Acrylic adhesives are naturally tacky, so they don't require as many additives during the manufacturing process as rubber adhesives. A hot melt tape is ideal for applications involving machine-applied tapes, overfilled cartons or cartons with a high degree of recycled content. Water-based and solvent-based acrylics are similar in cost to butyl rubber tapes; however, acrylic adhesives often develop a stronger bond than traditional rubber adhesive and can withstand higher temperatures. Applying adhesive tapes instead of mechanical fasteners allows you to use lower temperature applications, which can simplify manufacturing processes.
Acrylic tapes are ideal for packaging applications involving extreme temperatures, such as refrigeration, and for sealing boxes that will be stored for a long period of time. As always, the adhesive compound is just one factor that needs to be considered when selecting the right tape for the right application.
