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1. Tackifiers in adhesives
(teaser)
Dr Evert Smit
December 2009

2. Content
• Introduction Arizona Chemical
• Tackifiers
– Their action – looking at molecular scale
– Chemistries
– Effect in formulations
– DMA
• Conclusions

3. Our company
• 10 Manufacturing facilities
• Broad-based research and development
• Regional headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida and Almere, Netherlands
• 2 Research, Development
& Technical Service labs
– Almere, The Netherlands
– Savannah, Georgia US

4. Sustainability
Biorefining- A New Word for
our Decades of Experience!
Biorefinery:
“A facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to
produce fuels, power and added-value chemicals from biomass”
Source: Wikipedia
Renewable raw Co-product of pulp Refining and Providing sophisticated products
material production producing chemicals for the global chemical industry
Arizona
PULP MILL
Chemical

5. Introduction
• What is a tackifier ?
• What does it do ?
• How does it do this?

6. Introduction:
What is a tackifier ?
• Low molecular weight material
(resin) (Mn 300-2000)
• Compatible or partially compatible
with rubber/elastomer
or adhesive base polymer
• Has a Tg (glass transition
temperature) higher than that of the
rubber/elastomer or base polymer

7. Introduction:
What does a tackifier do ?
• The tackifier modifies the adhesive
polymer matrix
1. It (partly) breaks up the existing structure
 Enhances the mobility,
thus enhances the tack
size effect depends on compatibility
2. Increases adhesive force by providing “anchor
points” for specific adhesion and bridging
– almost like a surfactant
– Again, compatibility is key
3. But also increases the Tg of the formulated
adhesive (=tackifier+polymer+additives)

8. Effect depends on amount
Example: hotmelt

9. Tackifying Resins
• Types of Tackifying Resins
– Chemistry
– Characteristics

10. Tackifying Resins – Types
• Rosin derivatives
– Pure
– Dispersion
• Hydrocarbons
– C5, C9, C5/C9, AMS
• Terpenes
– Polymerised
– Styrenated
– Phenolated

11. Tackifying resins based on rosin
• Bonding
– The molecule has 2 distinct areas
CH3
• Lipophilic
enabling embedding in apolar areas
CH3
CH3
• Polar
for interaction with the
adhesive polymer
HO2 C

12. Tackifying Resins –
Hydrocarbon Resins
• Chemistry
– Aliphatic C5
• cis, trans 1,3-Pentadiene, cyclopentene,
cyclopentadiene
• -C=C- and –C=C-C=C- functionality
• (Non) low polar
• ‘like like’ compatibility

13. Tackifying Resins – Terpenes
• Chemistry
– Terpene phenols
– α-Pinene, β-pinene, d-Limonene + phenol
– -C=C- functionality
– Aliphatic, polar (-OH) nature

14. Effect of Tackifiers in Formulations
• EVA
– Typically packaging & non-woven
• Acrylates
– Solvent based
– Dispersions
• Block copolymers
– SBS
– SIS
– … not yet: OBC / metallocenes

15. Synthetic Rubber
Styrene Mid-Block Styrene
Styrene End-blocks
•Sharp, crystalline melt point
•Allows for melt processing
•Provides cohesive strength
Mid-blocks
•Soft, flexible
•Elastomeric
•Readily tackified

16. SIS Adhesive
Room Temperature Shear
350
300
250
100C polyterpene
200 100C rosin ester
minutes
150 C5 hydrocarbon
95C terpene phenol
100
50
0

17. DMA
How to measure the effect of a tackifier and a
plasticiser ?
• Measure tack, peel and shear performance
– Generates real-life numbers
Or
• Dynamical Mechanical Analysis
– Makes molecular interactions visible
– Helps to predict adhesive performance
and processability

18. Contact Details
Dr Evert Smit
Technical Leader Adhesives
Arizona Chemical
Transistorstraat 16
1322 CE Almere
The Netherlands
Mobile: +31 653 29 50 32
Office: +31 36 54 62 924
evert.smit@azchem.com
http://www.arizonachemical.com