KRATON Launches Styrenic Block Copolymers For Coextruded Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Films

Houston, TX — KRATON Polymers LLC (KRATON) introduced two new grades of KRATON® G SBCs for pressure sensitive adhesive films that enable the key features of both coextruded and adhesive coated protective films to be combined: the process efficiency of coextrusion with the customized performance of adhesive coating.

The new grades, MD6649 and MD6666, can be coextruded with polyolefins on standard cast or blown film lines; thus reducing the overall system costs by eliminating secondary adhesive coating when producing pressure sensitive adhesive films. Moreover, high adhesion levels previously attainable only through adhesive coating can be achieved via coextrusion and may be tailored by dry blending with other polyolefins, allowing film converters to cover the widest possible range attainable with coextruded films.

Films based on these new grades, such as surface protective films, are highly elastic and conformable for thermo-forming; and free from drawbacks typical of adhesive coated films such as residue transfer. As part of our KRATON G family of hydrogenated SBCs, MD6649 and MD6666 are UV and thermally stable, making them well suited for today's film manufacturing processes.

"KRATON is committed to helping our customers extract greater value from their existing capabilities by providing products with improved cost-to-benefit ratio and opening alternative channels to market," Jim Smith, Global Vice President and General Manager for KRATON Adhesives, Sealants & Coatings said. "These coextrudable KRATON products save our customers the inherent capital and operational costs related to coating of adhesives by the single step production of protective films with customizable adhesion levels."

SOURCE: KRATON Polymers LLC