Investigating the Drying Process of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives

The drying of a pressure-sensitive polymer adhesive was monitored by attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) IR spectroscopy. Correlational analysis revealed changes in the composition of the film surface with time. On a fundamental level, adhesion is the interaction between the surface of one material and that of another. The formulation of new adhesives, the optimization of current compounds, and the troubleshooting of manufacturing processes are greatly assisted by a characterization of the surface structure of the materials. This application note investigates the drying process of pressure-sensitive adhesives where no solvent or heat is applied during the bonding process.