Stabilization Strategies for Hot Melt Adhesives, 1998 Hot Melt Symposium Proceedings
Hot Melt Adhesives (HMA) are generally produced by compounding several components; polymers, tackifiers, and waxes or oils.
Due to their high compounding, storage, and application temperatures, hot melt adhesive formulations are extremely susceptible to thermally induced oxidation and degradation. Degradation of the overall formulation or an individual component will negatively affect the physical properties and performance of a HMA. These negative effects are manifested in a HMA as changes in viscosity, discoloration, and skin formation.
In order to inhibit oxidation and the negative effects of degradation, stabilizers are included in the raw materials and HMA formulations. This paper will review the various stabilizer chemistries as well as stabilization strategies for Hot Melt Adhesives.