PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
The Pressure-sensitive Label Construction
Module 4: Adhesives
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Features
• Coating Technology
• Adhesive Chemistry
• Adhesive Selection Criteria & End Use
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
> A pressure-sensitive
adhesive is generally a
soft, viscous (has flow
abilities) material that is
sticky to the touch.
When applied to a
substrate with slight
pressure, the adhesive
will begin to flow into the
surface.
Adhesive Technology
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Adhesive Technology
Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
Hot Melt Solvent Emulsion
Rubber
Perm Rem
Rubber Acrylic
Perm Rem Perm Rem
Acrylic
Perm Rem
Three Primary Coating Technologies (how the adhesive is applied to the liner):
Hot Melt – Solvent – Emulsion
Two Primary Adhesive Bases (what the adhesive is made of):
Acrylic Based and Rubber Based
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
TECHNOLOGY CHARACTERISTICS
Hot Melt
Coated in molten state. Typically lowest cost method. Typically not suitable for film constructions. Yellowish tint. Primarily rubber based adhesives.
Solvent
Coated as a solvent solution. Environmental costs. Robust performance. Provides and maintains high clarity. Rubber and Acrylic adhesives
Emulsion
Coated with components suspended in water. Provides and maintains high clarity. A wide range of performance is available. Primarily acrylic based adhesives.
Coating Technologies
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
ADVANTAGES:
• High initial tack
• Excellent long term adhesion
• High affinity to low energy substrates
(plastic containers)
DISADVANTAGES:
• Narrow service temperature range
• Poor solvent resistance
• Poor UV stability
• Yellow in color
• Potential for poor wide web converting
ADVANTAGES:
• Wide service temperature range
• Good solvent resistance (solvent)
• Good UV stability (solvent)
• Excellent clarity
• Excellent long term adhesion
• May be repositionable (emulsion)
• Excellent wide web converting
DISADVANTAGES:
• Medium initial tack
• Less affinity to low energy substrates.
vs.
Rubber versus Acrylic Based
Adhesive Performance
Rubber Based
Hot Melt and Solvent Technology
Acrylic Based Solvent and/or Emulsion Technology
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives
• Permanent - Label cannot be removed without damage to the
label or substrate
• Removable - Label can be removed at a desired time without
damage to the label or substrate
• Specialty - Designed for specific end-use requirement
› Heavy Coat Weight “B” / Light Coat Weight “A”
› Pattern Gum
› Photoluminescence
› Repositionable / Ultra-Removable
› All Temperature / Cold Temperature
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Trademarked Brands and Product Names
Avery, Avery Dennison, and Fasson are trademarks
or service marks of Avery Dennison Corporation.
All other brands and product names are trademarks
of their respective companies.
Use of these images is intended to demonstrate applications
for Avery Dennison products and services. This display does
not indicate affiliation, sponsorship, approval or endorsement
by the manufacturers of the products and the owners of
non-Avery Dennison brands.
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
The Pressure-sensitive Label Construction
Module 5: Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Adhesive Selection Guide
> What surface will the labels be
applied to?
» Surface composition
» Contour
» Texture
> Does the label need to be
permanent or removable?
> What are the conditions in which the
labels are being applied?
» Moisture and/or high humidity
» Temperature
» Unusually dusty or dirty
» Clean room
> How will the labels be applied?
» Auto applied or by hand
» How fast will they be applied?
» Repositionability required?
» For how long?
> What are the exposure conditions?
» Outdoor (vertical or horizontal)
» Chemicals
» Abrasion
» Surface protection required?
How is the label applied? How is
the label being used?
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Are there special application or exposure conditions the label
must withstand? Minimum Application Temperature
Lowest temperature at which the label is applied to the substrate
Service Temperature
Temperature range that the label will be exposed to over its expected lifetime
Hot Fill and Fresh Bottle Labeling
Requires special facestock/adhesive combination
Storage Conditions
Ideally should be 50%RH and 72ºF
Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
It is important to identify the exact type of substrate being used.
Plastic as a description is not enough.
The level of adhesion will vary with the type of “plastic” being used.
Adhesive Selection Guide
PET Polyethylene terephthalate 2 Liter soft drink bottles, crystal clear squeezable
bottles
HDPE High density polyethylene Milk jug bottles, colored semi rigid bottles
PVC Vinyl (Polyvinyl chloride) Vinyl binders, bags
LDPE Low density polyethylene Plastic bags
PP Polypropylene Diapers, straws
PS Polystyrene Expanded foam, casings for compact disks,
components for copiers
O, MR Multi-Resin & other Plastics
Plastic
Type Plastic Description Examples
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Adhesive Selection Guide - Surface Energy
High Surface Energy
Kapton®
Phenolic Alkyd Enamel
Polyester Epoxy paint
High Surface Energy Plastics
ABS Polycarbonate
PVC Acrylic Noryl®
Low Surface Energy Plastics
Polystyrene EVA Polyethylene Nylon
Polypropylene Tedlar®
Teflon®
Copper Aluminum Zinc
Lead Stainless Steel Glass
• Ability of the adhesive to 'wet out' over the surface of a material
• Low-surface energy materials prohibit wet out (beads of water on a waxed car)
• High-surface energy materials have excellent wet out and provide best adhesion
• Rubber based adhesives generally offer better adhesion to low surface energy substrates
• May require special treatment (Corona treatment; primers; top coatings)
• On some low surface energy materials, adhesion levels will improve with longer dwell times
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
What is the texture of the substrate (the surface to which
the label will be applied)?
A rough surface may require a stronger bonding adhesive or a heavier
adhesive coat weight to achieve acceptable adhesion
*** Remember, adhesion to any substrate is achieved by the adhesive flowing into all
areas of the substrate and “bonding” with them
Adhesive
Substrate
Facestock
Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
What is the shape of the substrate surface?
Curved Surfaces
Containers with less than 1” in diameter require a highly aggressive adhesive – one that
adheres quickly and will not lift on the edges – and a flexible facestock.
A wrap around (overlap) label may be preferable for very small diameter labeling. This
type of application also requires flexible facestocks and high tack adhesives. Do not
apply varnish at the overlap!
Compound Curves
Will require a special label shape and a flexible facestock for conformability to the
surface. Film generally performs better for compound curves.
Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Is the application surface clean or contaminated?
Contaminated Surfaces
Adhesion problems due to contaminated surfaces are often a major cause of pressure
sensitive failing to perform as expected or tested.
Typical Contaminates: Oil, grease, dust, dirt, moisture, ice, even fingerprints. All keep
the adhesive from touching the actual surface!
Mold Release Agents: Another typical contaminate seen when labeling “plastic” and
glass containers.
Consider the use of wrap around (overlap) labels where contamination
is present and cannot be removed.
Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Are there any plasticizers present that will
deteriorate the adhesive properties?
Plasticizer:
This is a component used in vinyl which controls the degree of softness or pliability
of the vinyl. A highly plasticized vinyl will be very soft and pliable while a low
plasticized vinyl will be very stiff.
» A plasticizer in contact with some adhesives will degrade adhesive
bond strength. It may be necessary to use a plasticizer resistant
adhesive. Pre-testing is always advisable by accelerated aging when
the existence of plasticizers are suspected.
Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Are there any special application and/or exposure conditions
that the label must withstand?
Special Conditions
Temperature extremes, outdoor weather exposure, ultra-violet light exposure, sterilization
processes.
Questions to consider
» Will the label be exposed to large amounts of moisture? If so, a moisture resistant
facestock should be selected.
» Will there be prolonged exposure to ultra-violet light? Long term exposure to U.V.
light deteriorates rubber based adhesives. Special adhesives may be needed if
transparent facestocks are to be used or the labels are to last an exceptionally long
time. Concentrated U.V. exposure will also affect the graphics on the label so this
consideration is particularly important where long label life is desired.
» Will the label be exposed to elevated temperatures above +200 F for an extended
period? If so, an acrylic adhesive combined with film or foil may be required.
Adhesive Selection Guide
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
Trademarked Brands and Product Names
Avery, Avery Dennison, and Fasson are trademarks
or service marks of Avery Dennison Corporation.
All other brands and product names are trademarks
of their respective companies.
Use of these images is intended to demonstrate applications
for Avery Dennison products and services. This display does
not indicate affiliation, sponsorship, approval or endorsement
by the manufacturers of the products and the owners of
non-Avery Dennison brands.
PS 101 – Preparing for Your Success Confidential—For Internal Use Only
© 2011 Avery Dennison Corporation. All rights reserved. Avery Dennison and all other Avery brands, product names and codes ar e trademarks of Avery Dennison
Corporation. All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Fortune 500 is a trademark of Time , Inc. Personal and company names and
other information on samples depicted are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual names and addresses is purely coincidental .
Revised May 2011
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