In response to a global isoprene
shortage, Eastman Chemical Co., a Kingsport, Tenn.-based chemical, fiber and plastic manufacturer
and marketer, has created a new hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive (HMPSA) formulation that more
than halves the use of isoprene.
The new packaging-tape and label solution substitutes isoprene monomers with a blend of
KRATON Polymers styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS) block copolymer and
styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer along with Eastman’s Piccotac 7590-N hydrocarbon
resin. The cost-effective solution, which uses more readily available butadiene monomers, may
enhance the performance of HMPSAs in certain cases, according to the company.
“The research we’ve documented allows packaging tape and label manufacturers to meet the
specific challenges presented by the current shortage without sacrificing HMPSA performance,” said
Chrétien Donker, product application manager and author of the technical paper Eastman presented at
the recent Pressure Sensitive Tape Council’s Tech XXIX Technical Seminar, held in Las Vegas.
The paper, entitled “A New Generation of Hot-Melt Tape Formulations Using Blends of SIBS and
SBS Block Copolymers and New Hydrocarbon Tackifying Resins,” includes performance data and sample
formulation tables and is available at
www.Eastman.com/PSTC.
June 27, 2006
