Hot-melt adhesive for multipack container bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hot-melt adhesive formulations fail to provide sufficient cohesive strength, heat resistance, and adhesion to containers in various ambient conditions, leading to difficulties in separating individual containers in multipacks without damaging them and result in excessive packaging waste.
Innovation Solution
A hot-melt adhesive composition comprising 50-85 parts of metallocene catalysed polyolefin polymer, 10-25 parts of styrene block copolymer, 5-25 parts of paraffinic oil or polybutene as a reinforcing agent, and 0.05-1.5 parts of sterically hindered phenolic antioxidant or hindered amine light stabilizer, which allows for durable bonding and easy separation of containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current commercial hot-melt adhesive formulations are used, then adhesive application is simple, but the adhesive lacks sufficient cohesive strength, heat resistance, and adhesion performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite adhesive formulation combining multiple polymer types (polyolefin polymer, styrene block copolymer, polyisobutylene) with specific weight ratios. This composite approach allows the adhesive to simultaneously achieve high cohesive strength, heat resistance, and adhesion performance by leveraging the complementary properties of each component material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for each component including weight percentages of polymers (50-85%, 10-25%, 5-25%), molecular weight ranges, and processing temperatures. By controlling these parameters within defined ranges, the adhesive achieves optimal performance characteristics while maintaining manufacturability through standardized formulation specifications.
2Reliability
If the adhesive provides very high cohesive strength and heat resistance for secure bonding, then container holding is reliable, but container separation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent formulates the adhesive with specific polymer combinations and plasticizer content (5-25% by weight) that create a dynamic bond strength characteristic. The adhesive maintains high strength during transport and storage conditions but allows controlled separation when consumers apply moderate force, achieving both reliable bonding and ease of separation through material dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the balance between adhesive strength and separability by adjusting formulation parameters including the ratio of rigid to flexible polymer components, plasticizer content, and crosslinking degree. These parameter adjustments enable the adhesive to exhibit condition-dependent behavior: strong under normal conditions but separable under consumer handling conditions.
3Reliability
If shrink sleeve film or cardboard overwrap is used for multipack formation, then containers are held together securely, but packaging waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for separate shrink sleeve films or cardboard overwraps by applying adhesive directly to the container surfaces. This extraction of the intermediate packaging layer reduces material usage and waste while maintaining secure multipack formation through direct adhesive bonding between containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of container bonding and multipack formation into a single adhesive application process. The adhesive simultaneously provides the bonding mechanism and the protective packaging function, eliminating the need for separate packaging materials and reducing overall packaging waste.
4Productivity
If the adhesive is applied in high speed automated processes, then productivity increases, but adhesive performance consistency becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent defines specific parameter ranges optimized for high-speed automated application including viscosity ranges, application temperature ranges, and cure time specifications. These controlled parameters ensure consistent adhesive performance even when applied at high speeds, allowing productivity increases without sacrificing bond reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent formulates the adhesive with pre-selected polymer and plasticizer combinations that provide optimal open time and cure characteristics for automated processes. This preliminary formulation design ensures the adhesive maintains consistent performance across high-speed production lines without requiring complex real-time adjustments during application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The adhesive mixture provides high cohesive strength, heat resistance, and flexibility, enabling secure storage and transport while allowing easy separation of containers, reducing packaging waste and enabling automated application without secondary packaging.
Implementation Method 1
the adhesive must display a very high level of cohesive strength
Implementation Method 2
a basis polymer, wherein the basis polymer is consisting of a metallocene catalysed polyolefin polymer
Implementation Method 3
the modifying polymer comprising a styrene block copolymer
Implementation Method 4
a modifying polymer, the modifying polymer comprising a styrene block copolymer
Implementation Method 5
the adhesive must have sufficient adhesion to the substrates to hold the containers together
Implementation Method 6
a reinforcing agent comprising paraffinic oil, naphthenic oil, polybutene
Implementation Method 7
a stabilizer component comprising a sterically hindered phenolic antioxidant
Implementation Method 8
a stabilizer component comprising a sterically hindered phenolic antioxidant
Implementation Method 9
a stabilizer component comprising a hindered amine light stabilizer
Implementation Method 10
a stabilizer component comprising a hindered amine light stabilizer
Implementation Method 11
Hot-melt adhesives are applied to a substrate while in its molten state
Implementation Method 12
and cooled to harden the adhesive layer
Data Source
AI summary
Use of a hot-melt adhesive for adhesive bonding of at least a first packaging and a second packaging, the hot-melt adhesive comprising: (a) 50-85 parts per weight of a basis polymer, wherein the basis polymer is consisting of a metallocene catalysed poiyolefln polymer, preferably ethene-1-octene-copolymer; (b) 1 0-25 parts per weight of a modifying polymer, the modifying polymer comprising a styrene block copolymer; (c) 5-25 parts per weight of a reinforcing wax, preferably a polyethylene wax or a wax produced by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis route, the wax component preferably comprising paraffinic oil, naphthenic oil, polybutene, dibasic ester, polyol or mixtures thereof; and (d) 0.05-1.5 parts per weight of a stabilizer component comprising a sterically hindered phenolic antioxidant and/or a hindered amine light stabilizer and a pack comprising the hot-melt adhesive.