UV-curing adhesives can now be used for a wide range of applications. Although originally developed to replace solvent-based adhesives, UV adhesives can do much more. Due to the artimelt base polymer formulations, removable adhesives and adhesives with a strong bond can be manufactured using one and the same raw adhesive mixture. artimelt UV adhesives can therefore be used in a wide range of different applications.
Applications of artimelt UV adhesives
A typical example of the way in which UV adhesives can be used is in the manufacture of removable labels for wet-wipe packaging. In this application, the adhesives comes into contact with the wet wipe materials, which can include alcohols, perfumes, paraffin oils and emulsifying agents. All of these constituents do not impair the functionality of the artimelt removable UV adhesives. Even after being opened and closed dozens of times, the adhesive retains its original properties with barely any changes.
Another interesting example of the way in which UV adhesives can be used is in washable bottle labels. Glass bottles are very frequently recycled. As part of the bottle cleaning process, the labels must be able to be removed from the bottle without leaving any residue. This is not always possible with every type of adhesive. Many adhesives form a bond that is too strong and thus prevent the labels from being able to be removed cleanly.
Due to their low weight, plastic bottles (PET) are also being used increasingly in the drinks industry. These also feature labels, but are shredded instead of being reused. The PET flakes generated in this process are reused to manufacture PET bottles and other items made from PET. However, due to labels and adhesives having a negative effect on the PET recycling process, they both must be removed from the PET flakes. This is where artimelt comes in.
Due to the careful selection of raw materials used, artimelt UV adhesives can also come into direct contact with foodstuffs. For example, labels for resealable cookie packaging, as are commonly used nowadays, are manufactured using artimelt UV adhesives.
As the UV adhesives are resistant to light and ageing, they can also be applied to transparent film materials. Even after spending several months in storage, they remain transparent and do not turn a yellow color. Thanks to artimelt’s high level of specialist knowledge in the development of adhesives, the same raw adhesive mixture can also be used to manufacture adhesive tapes. The adhesives used in these tapes must have totally different properties, e.g. the ability to form a strong adhesive bond on a wide range of surfaces, a high level of resistance to shear stress and a resistance to high temperatures. For example, adhesive tapes can be produced for use in the automotive industry.
A great many strongly adhesive labels are also used in this industry. The labels used here feature important information and must not be able to come loose, otherwise this information will be lost. An example of such an application would be car battery labels. These labels are exposed to high temperatures and the effects of chemicals in the engine area, e.g. battery acid, engine oil, fuel, cold cleaning solvent, etc. The adhesives must ensure that contact with none of these substances will cause the label to come loose and fall off.
artimelt UV adhesives are the right solution for this job, as they form a strong adhesive bond on a variety of surfaces and are resistant to high temperatures and chemicals. This resistance to chemicals is also extremely important for labels affixed to chemical containers. Just imagine, you order a number of different chemical and upon receiving them, you find that there is no way to differentiate between the containers, as the labels have fallen off. You won’t know which chemicals are stored in each container. You won’t know how dangerous each substance is. And you won’t know how to handle each chemical. By using the right artimelt UV adhesive, you can make sure you do not run any risks in such situations.
artimelt has the right solutions for you.
Summary
To summarize:
- artimelt UV adhesives can be used for both removable and permanently affixed labels.
- artimelt UV adhesives are characterized by their resistance to high temperatures and chemicals.
- artimelt UV adhesives can be used in the manufacture of products that come into direct contact with foodstuffs.
If you require more information on finding the right adhesive for your application, our adhesive experts would be happy to help.
