Electricity and gas price increases affect the packaging industry greatly. As a result, producing cardboard boxes, paper bags, and various wrappers has become increasingly expensive. Some paper mills in Europe have thus decided to decrease their production due to rising energy costs. But not just in Europe; similar problems also occur in China and India. With energy bills increasing up to 300 %, saving seems to be everybody’s priority.
Low temperature adhesives are suitable for folding boxes, wrap-around cases, and other forms of packaging.
What are low melt adhesives?
Low melt adhesives are a subclass of hot melt adhesives. As the name suggests, low melts adhesives need lower temperatures for their application which is a game changer for the packaging industry. Low melt adhesives bring completely new production processes, saving energy, allowing you to produce new types of packaging, and, at the same time, mind the environment. Here are some of the important specifications to look for in low melt adhesives:
- can be applied at temperatures between 90° and 140°C,
- are applicable using a roller or nozzle and are suitable for automatic or manual application,
- are suitable for delicate materials and temperature-sensitive products,
- excellent pot and shelf life,
- lower risk of burns during processing.
Low melt adhesives come in different types: EVA hot melts, polyolefin-based systems, and many other formulations. They all have their specific uses. For example, some are designed for delicate surfaces such as paper, foam, and fabric, whereas others work well on cardboard and carton.
4 reasons how low melt adhesives save you money
Using low melt adhesives has a huge impact on energy savings and, consequently, on carbon dioxide emissions.
An independent study shows that using hot melt adhesives takes 134% more energy to prepare than low melts.
- Process start-up times are
- Improved stability of low melt adhesives means you can plan your production more accurately without ordering a surplus of adhesive and not using it in the end.
- Lower processing temperatures help your equipment last longer, saving you money on repairs and maintenance.
Termokol, a name to remember
Termokol 2329, Termokol ultra 2385, and Termokol 2629 are flagship low melt products used for packaging. Besides various EVA-based hot melts, MITOL offers newly developed formulations on metallocene polyolefin base with excellent performance characteristics like better adhesion to difficult-to-bond surfaces, high thermal stability, low density, up to 40% lower consumption, high yield, good heat resistance and cold resistance for deep freeze application (-18 to -40°C). In addition, clean processing and the absence of carbonization lead to reduced maintenance work and downtimes on the line and, consequently, lower production costs.
MITOL devotes special attention to the selection of pure, odorless raw materials with low content of mineral oil. Our food packaging adhesives comply with American FDA regulation 175.105 and the EU regulation 10/2011.
To wrap up
The most common applications of low melt adhesives in the packaging industry include gluing cartons and folding boxes, as well as sealing and bonding wraparound cases, cardboard boxes, and trays. For each application and material, it is important to consider the specifications of the adhesive. Apart from providing top-quality adhesives for any application, MITOL has solutions that save energy, money and take care of the planet.
