Extrusion coating is a process of applying a molten thermoplastic material onto a substrate such as film, foil, paper, or fabric. The performance of the resulting structure depends significantly on the degree of adhesion achieved between the coating material and the substrate. Without adequate adhesion many problems can be encountered in production and during the service life of the product.
Extrusion coatings employ thermoplastics that become liquid between temperatures of 80-220°C and solidify again by cooling. They consist of materials that are 100% solids and are applied without the use of solvents or water.
Extrusion of a hot melt adhesive is a simple and environmentally friendly method of applying certain pressure sensitive adhesives to a continuous backing material. Extrusion coating processes can also be used to apply dry adhesive films to a backing that can be activated later by solvent, water, or heat. Extrusion processes also provide a simple, fast, and efficient method of laminating continuous structures together.