Hot Melt Group Continues Programs

Published: July 01, 2003, By David J. Bentley Jr., the PLACE Editor

A Communication from the Polymers, Laminations, and Coatings Div. of TAPPI. Providing practical information to the converting and packaging industries.

For 35 years, the Hot Melt Committee of the PLACE Division has been presenting state-of-the-art technical programs highlighting hot melts. This year the group is combining with the PLACE Division to present the PLACE Conference and Global Hot Melt Symposium. For nearly 50 years, hot melts have had almost unrestricted growth. Hot melt products now account for 20 percent of the adhesive market; fifty years ago, aqueous adhesives dominated. What has changed? Why? In his introductory paper presented in the session entitled Hot Melt Tutorial, Robert Forsyth, Consultant, will detail what has happened in the past 50 years. His discussion will cover where and when hot melts find use, current trends, opportunities and threats, etc.

This introductory paper will lead into a variety of other papers in the various sessions of the meeting devoted to hot melt products. One such paper is Enhancing Efficient, Performance, and Shelf Appeal with Electron Beam Curing by Thomas Kauffman of Rohm and Haas Co. He will describe the current investigations by the flexible packaging industry on electron beam curing technology for adhesives and coatings. The benefits of the technology include immediate cure, cure through opaque substrates, very rapid line speeds, and no migratory photoinitiator. Kauffman will provide examples how this technology can influence operations and finished product performance and appeal and will present the potential for the technology beyond existing applications and markets.