Five Tips for Applying Hot Melt Adhesives

Hot melt adhesives have long been a customer favorite…for good reason. A few of the primary assets that these versatile adhesives offer are:

• Ability to bond impervious surfaces.
• Gap-filling capabilities.
• Easy to store.
• Environmentally friendly.

For optimum usage of hot melt adhesives, here are five top tips to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you check and follow the recommended temperature range for the adhesive that you’re using. Do not exceed the operating temperature range of the hot melt. Doing so will burn the adhesive, which will in turn damage your dispensing equipment and render the hot melt adhesive useless for your project.
2. Be sure to clean the substrates you are bonding. Hot melt adhesives will not bond to dust, so if you’re dealing with a dusty or soiled substrate, chances are you will compromise the integrity of the bond.
3. If you are working with metal, ensure that the metal’s surface is not oily or greasy. (Some metals will have an oily or greasy surface left over from the manufacturing process.)  If so, clean the surface with an appropriate solvent before the hot melt adhesive is applied.
4. Generally, the viscosity (the ability of the hot melt to flow freely) is related to the temperature of the hot melt. The higher the temperature, the higher the viscosity. If a hot melt is flowing too slowly, gradually raise its temperature – but just make sure you’re staying within the recommended operating temperature range. A normal craft type glue gun runs between 250 degrees to 400 degrees and when it gets to the right temperature the flow is considered a medium to high viscosity. It would take about 15 seconds to harden.
5. Be sure you’re familiar the type of hot melt adhesive that you’re using. Generally, EVA hot melts are well-suited for packaging and wood applications. Polyolefins are more specialized and are a good fit for usage with fabric, metal and foam. Polyamides have high heat resistance and are often used in applications such as electrical potting and manufacturing circuit boards. Reactive hot melts have the highest tensile strength and heat resistance of any hot melts.

Here is a quick look at a few of our top-selling hot melt adhesives.

Chem-Set™ 711 Hot Melt Adhesive

This high temperature hot melt adhesive has a hotter tack, a fast set time and is perfect for packaging and carton sealing, as well as use with point of purchase displays.

Chem-Set™ P-701 (1 3/4″x1 3/4″) Tan Hot Melt Slugs

This fast-set hot melt adhesive is a great choice for packaging and sealing cartons for medium to larger cartons. It will bond to most porous materials including wood.

We’re happy to help with any questions about the many hot melt adhesives that you’ll find available from Chemical Concepts. Feel free to give our experienced sales team a call (toll-free) at 800-220-1966 or email us at [email protected].