Choosing the right adhesive for a specific application is not always simple. Many articles have been devoted to discussing the topic, often focusing on how the end use of a given pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) product should play into the decisions.

Initial reports on the use of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technology for pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) began to appear in the late 1960s.

The disclosure of an invention in a patent application must meet the “enablement” provision of the U.S. Code, which states that the “specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same.”

Packagers and converters are always seeking the most efficient, cost-effective adhesives. Many times, synthetics are not the most reliable solutions. This is especially true in an era when U.S. companies of all types are encouraged to find more environmentally friendly options.

For many people, the glue sticks and glue guns they buy at their local hobby or hardware store are an introduction to hot-melt adhesives—but these products are only a small glimpse of what is possible in the world of hot melts.