Adhesives formulators and product managers in the nonwovens industry are increasingly concerned by the cost and viability of their existing nonwoven adhesive formulations. The continued rising cost of petrochemicals and their derivatives, coupled with a series of raw-material shortages, have forced the industry to identify short-term formulation alternatives to meet customer needs. In addition, the increased adoption of olefinic polymers, such as amorphous polyolefins (APO) and the emergence of metallocene polyethylene (m-PE), are broadening the scope of adhesive formulations. Because their availability is not dependent on isoprene, these polymers are being used in a number of new adhesive developments.
Nonwoven adhesive formulators cannot afford to spend time on major formulation adjustments, raw material evaluations and long-term R&D projects. Reformulating the "existing" while incorporating the "new" requires a wealth of experience, data and adhesive concepts to continue to meet customer requirements and deadlines.