The latest product developments in the adhesives arena have been engineered to provide increased flexibility and versatility for label and packaging converters. Plus, the adhesives are being designed to ensure a positive environmental impact.

This mix of sustainability and performance has been featured in the latest offerings from Avery Dennison, a substrate and adhesive specialist based in Mentor, OH, USA. Most recently, Avery Dennison unveiled its new reclosure R1350 adhesive, which is a specially formulated low-odor acrylic adhesive with a smooth, low-noise peel.

According to the company, R1350 has an extremely low first peel strength of 110 grams per linear inch, and a feature that gives it 25 times the water whitening resistance of a typical reclosure adhesive.

“Excellent water whitening resistance and ultra-low peel strength combine to make this adhesive ideal for use in heat sealable reclosure applications, such as leafy greens and produce, where there is a large amount of moisture present,” explains Lauren Kalb, R&D director of specialty and durables at Avery Dennison.

Avery Dennison has also seen the majority of its customers transition from its legacy AT20 to the new AT2550 technology. TrueCut All-Temp adhesive technology is fully repulpable, allowing it to address issues created by many adhesives during the recycling process.

“During processing, pressure sensitive adhesives combined with recycled paper can become small particles, known as ‘stickies.’ These particles can build up on equipment and cause defects in the final product paper,” notes Kalb. “Because of stickies, paper companies can contend with lower product selling prices, down time and equipment cleanup costs. The added repulpability of the adhesive is a huge advantage to paper packaging.

“We have heard customers are very happy with converting speeds and less adhesive ooze,” she adds.

Repositionability can help during application, as it allows for a label to be removed quickly after application and repositioned correctly if it was applied incorrectly or crooked. There is less scrap/loss when adhesives are designed with a window for repositionability. Meanwhile, removability assists converters who would like to remove a label cleanly from their product without leaving adhesive residue.

“The Avery Dennison Removables portfolio, featuring nine general purpose and application solution adhesives, addresses a range of application needs from simple to complex,” states Kalb. “Suited for an array of applications, the portfolio provides targeted solutions with stable tack across the label’s lifespan, clean removal and the substrate versatility you need.

Avery Dennison has also placed a premium on the sustainability of its products. The company has invested in its global research and development teams to be able to design adhesives in-house. In North America, Avery Dennison offers its Adhesive Center of Excellence in Mill Hall, PA, which is dedicated to creating products that are more sustainable and offer new functionality.

“Overall, there has been an increased focus on sustainability when designing adhesive technologies,” says Kalb. “Whether that is using less material to help conserve limited natural resources – and capture lower costs – or designing adhesives that help to enable the recycling of the container they are applied to.”

Ultimately, the company is looking to answer the demands and challenges of the industry. “As the performance needs of adhesives continue to evolve, we are focused on designing adhesives to meet those needs,” adds Kalb. “For example, looking at the upcoming changes for the pharmaceutical industry, we are reviewing our adhesives to make sure they will work on tight mandrel applications, as well as perform in cryogenic storage conditions.”