A new stay-in-place moisture resistant hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive (HMPSAs) has been developed to address consumer complaints in the feminine hygiene market. These HMPSAs are commonly called positioning adhesives and are used to affix the absorbent article to the user’s undergarments. In many cases the small footprint of absorbent liners is insufficient to capture all the moisture, and traditional HMPSAs lose bond strength when the fabrics becomes wet. Similar challenges ensue when the article becomes saturated. Using new raw materials to this market segment we have developed HMPSA formulas that maintain or even increase peel performance under these challenging conditions. The development enables hygiene article manufactures to reduce adhesive usage by up to 20%, and is processed at low application temperatures, which reduce both material and energy consumption.
Co-author: Ethan Gormong, Ph.D.