Eric Bartholomew
Research Chemist
Avery Dennison

Acrylic Pressure Sensitive Adhesives exhibiting enhanced adhesion to low surface energy substrates

Due to the prevailing tend towards the use of lighter and lower cost engineered plastics in automotive, construction, aerospace, electronics, and other industrial end uses there now exists the need for high strength pressure sensitive materials that can bond well to these new materials. It is reported in this paper novel all acrylic compositions that are inherently lower in surface energy. As a consequence the materials display significantly improved adhesion to low surface energy plastic substrates like polyethylene and polypropylene as well as low surface energy coatings. Additionally the compatibility of the new compositions with tackifiers that are typically incompatible with most acrylics is described.