Polyamide hot melt adhesive (PO)

Polyamide hot melts

The polyamide hot melt adhesives are made of polymers bonded together by chemical reactions triggered by heat or catalysts (UV rays or humidity). The highly cross-linked structure ensures high mechanical and physical resistance superior to elastomers and thermoplastic materials. After the irreversible polymerization process, the product will no longer be able to dissolve or melt.

The polyamide hot melt adhesives have several advantages:
– solid state are easy to use and transport.
– there are no drying or hardening times, because the joining force is immediate.
– fixing does not require long waiting times.
– due to their high viscosity they can be used successfully on porous and non-porous surfaces.
– guarantee excellent performance by increasing production times.
– possess high performance.
– ensure greater mechanical resistance and an extraordinary tolerance to thermal changes and to the aggressions of chemical agents.
The polyamide-based hot melt adhesives on the other hand for their characteristic structure are poorly elastic. Moreover, being thermostable materials, after solidification or hardening they do not allow recycling. In fact, high temperatures and heat can not deform them or return the original liquid form for disposal. For this reason they are used in all those sectors and special applications such as electronics, automotive or aesthetics (for example to realize the common Hair Extensions) where an excellent resistance to gluing and thermal changes are required. At high efficiency, polyamide hot melt adhesives are applied to particularly difficult environments and surfaces, withstanding temperatures even above 200 ° C.

Their softening point is very high: they guarantee excellent adherence to temperatures from -40 ° C up to even 185 ° C, without having to bear heavy loads. They are resistant to petrol and oil. They adhere perfectly to many substrates such as metal, wood, polyethylene, polypropylene and ABS or Cycolar (material normally used to make light or rigid objects in common use, such as pipes, musical instruments, golf club heads, the well-known colored bricks used by children, electrical components or car body parts). The processing of polyamide hot melt adhesives requires skill and a lot of attention.

In fact, during the process, the absorption of atmospheric oxygen or humidity could trigger the formation of foamed material or trigger a degradation reaction that would compromise the mechanical resistance and the adequate adherence of the product on the surfaces.