Adhesive base polymers are the binders that give an adhesive its cohesion, strength and flexibility, and this page compares 22 of them, from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and styrenic block copolymers to acrylic emulsions and silicones. Base polymers are one of 15 raw-material families among the adhesive chemicals that industrial adhesives are formulated from.
One selection table lists every member with its key CAS number and a dated grade or design value. Loadings follow with their basis: EVA makes up 50 wt % of a packaging hot melt in one patent example, while styrenic block copolymer hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesives carry less polymer than tackifier. None of the members has a CLP Annex VI entry; their labels come from residual monomers, preservatives and siloxane residues. US food-packaging rules split the family: 21 CFR 175.105 names EVA, SBS, butyl rubber, natural rubber, polyamides and polysiloxanes, but not SIS or SEBS.
Sources and checks: identities and hazard classifications are read at ECHA and the issuing regulator, standards at the body that publishes them, and grade values at the data sheet named next to them; methodology and fact-checking explains each step.
What Are Adhesive Base Polymers?#
An adhesive base polymer is the polymer that carries cohesion, strength and flexibility in a formulation and gives the adhesive chemistry its name, as in an EVA hot melt or a polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) wood glue. Glue, in the formulator's sense, is a polymer system. The Springer Handbook of Adhesion Technology describes the base polymer as the binder, backbone or elastomer of a formulation, the component that gives the bond line its cohesion, strength and flexibility.
Polymer nature is the first axis of classification. Thermoplastic adhesives, such as EVA hot melts, PVAc dispersions, solvent-borne polychloroprene and thermoplastic polyurethane, arrive as finished polymers and set physically. Thermosetting or crosslinked adhesives, such as epoxy, polyurethane, phenolic and cured silicone, build their network during cure, and elastomeric adhesives form a third group.
The four roles a base polymer plays in an adhesive are listed below.
- Cohesion and strength: the polymer carries the load inside the bond line.
- Flexibility and low-temperature behavior: the polymer's glass transition sets how the bond behaves in the cold.
- Setting mechanism: cooling, water loss, contact or moisture cure follows from the polymer.
- Compatibility: the polymer decides which tackifier, oil and wax it can dissolve.
How a Base Polymer Builds Cohesion, Tack and Set#
Styrenic block copolymers (SBC) set by cooling, and glassy polystyrene end-block domains act as physical crosslinks that supply cohesion while tackifier and oil swell the rubbery midblock. EVA also sets by cooling: vinyl acetate (VA) units disrupt polyethylene crystallinity and add polarity, so more VA lowers melting point and modulus. Polyamide hot melts set by cooling and partial crystallization of their amide segments.
Water-based PVAc sets by water loss: water leaves into porous substrates, and the particles coalesce into a film above the minimum film-forming temperature (MFFT). Tack, the instant grab of a soft polymer under light pressure, is explained under tack in adhesives. Polychloroprene bonds by contact, because autohesion plus crystallization of trans-1,4 segments gives immediate green strength when two dried films meet. Silyl-terminated polymers cure with moisture: their alkoxysilyl ends hydrolyze and condense to Si-O-Si links and release methanol or ethanol.
Adhesive Base Polymer Types: One Selection Table for Every Polymer#
The selection table below sets out 22 adhesive base polymers in four groups: ethylene copolymers, polyolefins and polyamides for hot melts; styrenic block copolymers and rubbers; water-based polymers; and reactive and specialty polymers.
| Member | Type | Main chemistries | Grade or design value | Key CAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) | polar random copolymer | EVA hot melt, packaging, bookbinding, wood | VA 14 to 39 wt %, peak melting 91 to 48 °C (196 to 118 °F), Escorene Ultra Europe adhesive slate, ExxonMobil 2017 | 24937-78-8, ECHA list number 607-457-0 |
| ethylene acrylate copolymers (EnBA, EMA) | polar random copolymer | EVA-type hot melts, as EVA partner | 35 wt % butyl acrylate, MI 40 g/10 min (190 °C, 2.16 kg), LOTRYL 35BA40, SK Functional Polymer TDS June 2026 | 25750-84-9 (EnBA), 25103-74-6 (EMA) |
| amorphous poly-alpha-olefin (APAO) | amorphous reactor copolymer | polyolefin hot melt, hygiene, edgebanding | butene-rich grades harder, propene-rich grades softer, Evonik product page read 2026-11-02 | 9010-79-1, 29160-13-2, 9003-07-0 (class) |
| metallocene polyolefin elastomers and plastomers | single-site copolymer, OBC | polyolefin hot melt, elastic attachment | MI 1,250 g/10 min, density 0.870 g/cm³, AFFINITY GA 1875, Dow product page read 2026-11-02 | 26221-73-8 and related CAS (class) |
| polyamide resins for hot melts | dimer acid polyamide, copolyamide | polyamide hot melt, low-pressure molding, footwear | R&B 170 to 180 °C (338 to 356 °F), TECHNOMELT PA 6790, Henkel TDS June 2020 | 68650-50-0 (one type) |
| styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) block copolymer | styrenic block copolymer | hot melt PSA, hygiene, rubber PSA | polystyrene 14.0 to 17.0 %, diblock 19 %, Kraton D1161 P data sheet read 2026-11-02 | 25038-32-8, ECHA list number 607-504-5 |
| styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer | styrenic block copolymer | hot melt PSA, contact adhesives | bound styrene 26.9 to 29.9 %, diblock 15 %, Kraton D1102 E data sheet read 2026-11-02 | 9003-55-8, shared with SBR |
| hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (SEBS and SEPS) | saturated-midblock SBC | hot melt PSA | polystyrene 28.2 to 30.0 %, Kraton G1652 E data sheet read 2026-11-02 | 66070-58-4 (SEBS), 68648-89-5 (SEPS) |
| styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and SBR latex | random copolymer | latex adhesives, rubber PSA, solvent-borne | see member page | 9003-55-8, shared with SBS |
| polyisobutylene (PIB) | saturated hydrocarbon polymer | rubber PSA | see member page | 9003-27-4, ECHA list number 618-360-8 |
| butyl rubber (IIR) | isobutylene-isoprene copolymer | rubber PSA | isoprene 1.0 to 2.3 mol % across grades 065 to 365, ExxonMobil butyl grade slate read 2026-11-02 | 9010-85-9 |
| natural rubber and latex | cis-1,4-polyisoprene | rubber PSA, latex adhesives | see member page | 9006-04-6, EC 232-689-0 |
| polychloroprene (neoprene) | crystallizing chloroprene rubber | solvent-based contact, water-based contact | dispersion destabilized to pH about 8.0 to 8.5 with CO2 for wet tack, Covestro Dispercoll C flyer read 2026-11-02 | 9010-98-4 |
| nitrile rubber (NBR) | polar acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber | solvent-based, nitrile-phenolic, epoxy toughener (CTBN) | see member page | 9003-18-3 |
| acrylic polymers and emulsions | acrylic ester copolymer class | acrylic PSA, labels, tapes | film Tg about -40 °C, solids about 69 %, Acronal V 212, BASF TDS September 2008 | class, no single CAS |
| polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) | vinyl acetate homopolymer | wood glue, packaging | PVOH-protected homopolymer Tg about 35 to 40 °C (Arendt and McBride, ASI 2011) | 9003-20-7, ECHA list number 618-358-7 |
| vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) copolymer emulsions | VA-rich copolymer emulsion | packaging, PVC and film lamination | plasticizer-free grade, VINNAPAS EP 14, Wacker product page read 2026-11-02 | 24937-78-8, shared with EVA |
| polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) | water-soluble polymer from PVAc | protective colloid, remoistenable adhesives | see member page | 9002-89-5, ECHA list number 618-340-9 |
| polyurethane dispersions (PUD) | polyurethane-urea in water | heat-activated footwear and lamination adhesives | bond line activation about 50 to 70 °C (122 to 158 °F), Dispercoll grades (Dormish, ASI 2005) | class, no single CAS |
| silicone polymers and MQ resins | PDMS gum plus MQ silicate resin | silicone PSA, release liners, silicone adhesives | MQ resin about 40 to 70 parts per 100 parts resin plus gum (EP0524776A1, patent range) | 63148-62-9 (PDMS), 56275-01-5 (MQ) |
| silyl-terminated polymers (MS polymer, STPE, STPU) | alkoxysilyl-ended polyether or PU | silyl-modified elastic adhesives, automotive | 10,000 and 30,000 mPa·s, GENIOSIL STP-E 140 and STP-E 340, Wacker release 2025-03-05 | class, no single CAS |
| thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) | crystallizing polyester urethane | solvent-borne footwear, PUR hot melt modifier | see member page | product-specific |
Each request is passed straight to independent companies of that trade, and no company pays AdhesiveAdditives.com to be named or to receive requests; the editorial policy explains how.
Every grade value in the table is a typical value of the named grade, not a class limit. Most identities carry ECHA list numbers, not EC numbers, and SBS and SBR share CAS 9003-55-8, so a specification names block or random structure in words.
Ethylene Copolymers, Polyolefins and Polyamides for Hot Melts#
EVA and ethylene acrylates are polar random copolymers whose VA or acrylate content sets melting point and tackifier compatibility; APAO and metallocene polyolefins are non-polar reactor polymers; polyamides set by crystallization of amide segments. The VA content of hot melt EVA grades spans 6 to 40 wt % (Wu et al., 2021). In ethylene n-butyl acrylate (EnBA) and ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA), the acrylate interrupts crystallinity the same way VA does.
Amorphous poly-alpha-olefins (APAO) are a class of reactor copolymers of ethylene, propylene and 1-butene that bring long open time and inherent tack to polyolefin hot melts. In hot melt adhesives these polymers are balanced against tackifier and wax. Metallocene polyolefins come from single-site catalysis (narrow molecular weight distribution, low odor and color), and their olefin block copolymers (OBC) combine hard and soft blocks.
Styrenic Block Copolymers and Rubbers#
SIS, SBS and SEBS combine glassy polystyrene end blocks with a rubbery midblock; the other rubbers are single-phase polymers whose cohesion comes from molecular weight, crystallization or crosslinking. A styrene-isoprene (SI) diblock share lowers viscosity and raises tack at the cost of shear. SBS gives a higher modulus and lower tack than SIS, while the saturated midblock of styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) and styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS) gives heat, UV, oxidation and color stability.
Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is a random copolymer without polystyrene domains. Polyisobutylene (PIB) is saturated and non-polar: high-molecular-weight grades give cohesion and cold-flow resistance, lower-molecular-weight grades give tack, and both have low water-vapor permeability. Natural rubber is a high-molecular-weight cis-polyisoprene that is masticated before it can be tackified, and ammonia preserves its latex concentrate. In nitrile rubber (NBR), acrylonitrile gives oil and fuel resistance and the phenolic compatibility of nitrile-phenolic adhesives, and carboxyl-terminated liquid nitrile (CTBN) toughens epoxies.
Water-Based Polymers: Acrylics, PVAc, VAE, PVOH and PUD#
Acrylic emulsions set their Tg through the soft-to-hard monomer ratio, PVAc and VAE form films by coalescence, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is the protective colloid, and polyurethane dispersions (PUD) bond by heat activation of a crystalline soft segment. Acrylic acid adds polarity and crosslink sites, and acrylic cohesion comes from gel content or crosslinkers, such as metal chelates, isocyanates and aziridines (Fox equation for Tg). Vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) carries the same CAS number as EVA, 24937-78-8, but is a different product: a VA-rich emulsion in which ethylene acts as internal plasticizer and lowers Tg and MFFT, while EVA is a solid, ethylene-rich hot melt polymer.
PVOH is made by alcoholysis of PVAc and controls viscosity, open time and set in water-based adhesives. Emulsions and dispersions are the polymer carriers of water-based adhesives, and PVAc gains water resistance through ethylene, N-methylolacrylamide with a Lewis-acid catalyst, or an isocyanate hardener. A PUD starts as an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer with an internal emulsifier that is dispersed in water and chain-extended; its tack begins at about 50 °C (122 °F) and peaks at about 60 °C (140 °F) (Dormish, ASI 2005).
Reactive and Specialty Base Polymers: Silicones, Silyl-Terminated Types and TPU#
Silicone PSAs pair a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gum with an MQ resin tackifier, silyl-terminated polymers (STP) cure with moisture, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) crystallizes for fast green strength. More MQ resin raises peel and shear and lowers tack, and the gum is cured with peroxide or by platinum addition. "MS Polymer" is a Kaneka trade name for a silyl-terminated polyether, the binder of moisture-curing elastic silyl-modified adhesives. TPU is a high-molecular-weight polyester urethane whose residual hydroxyl groups crosslink with an added polyisocyanate.
How to Choose a Base Polymer for an Adhesive#
Choose a base polymer in six steps, starting with the adhesive chemistry and its setting mechanism and ending with the food-contact listing and the specification fields a supplier quotes against. The six steps are listed below in the order a formulator checks them.
- Fix the adhesive chemistry and its setting mechanism.
- Set the service temperature range.
- Match polarity to substrate and tackifier through VA or acrylate content and a saturated or unsaturated midblock.
- Check heat, UV and color stability, where saturated SEBS midblocks and single-site polyolefins lead.
- Confirm the food-packaging listing of the polymer.
- Write the specification fields the supplier quotes against.
Step 2 follows a published sequence rather than a rule of this site. A 2015 Adhesives & Sealants Industry (ASI) article on customizing hot melt formulations sets base polymer by temperature after substrates, bond type, environment and application method: EVA for general use, APAO and polyamide for high heat, and acrylic for the cold.
Matching the Base Polymer to the Adhesive Chemistry#
Hot melts use EVA, polyolefins, SBC or polyamides; pressure-sensitive adhesives use acrylics, SBC, natural rubber, PIB or silicones; water-based adhesives use PVAc, VAE, acrylic, latex or PUD. Each of the types of adhesives by chemistry has its own backbone polymers, and the table below pairs each chemistry with its backbone and modifier polymers.
| Adhesive chemistry | Backbone base polymers | Modifier or minor polymers |
|---|---|---|
| EVA-type hot melt | EVA, ethylene acrylate copolymers | none named |
| Polyolefin hot melt | APAO, metallocene polyolefins | maleated metallocene grades (adhesion) |
| Hot melt PSA | SIS, SBS, SEBS | none named |
| Polyamide hot melt | polyamide resins | none named |
| Reactive PUR hot melt | isocyanate-terminated prepolymer | TPU (green strength) |
| Rubber PSA | natural rubber, SIS, PIB, butyl rubber, SBR | none named |
| Acrylic PSA | acrylic polymers | none named |
| Silicone PSA | PDMS gum | MQ resin (tackifier role) |
| Water-based wood and packaging | PVAc, VAE | PVOH (protective colloid) |
| Water-based latex and dispersion | natural rubber latex, polychloroprene dispersion, SBR latex, PUD | none named |
| Solvent-based and contact | polychloroprene, SBS, NBR, TPU (footwear) | none named |
| Silyl-modified | silyl-terminated polymers | none named |
| Epoxy | epoxy resins | CTBN liquid nitrile (toughener) |
The right-hand column shows base polymers working below backbone level: CTBN toughens epoxy, TPU gives a reactive PUR hot melt green strength, and maleated metallocene grades add adhesion.
Base Polymers for Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives#
A pressure-sensitive base polymer must stay below the Dahlquist modulus at use temperature: acrylics reach it by monomer choice, SBC and rubbers with tackifier and oil, and silicone gum with MQ resin. The Dahlquist criterion sets the storage modulus G' below 3 × 10^5 Pa (0.3 MPa) at 25 °C (77 °F) and 1 Hz (Dahlquist, 1969).
The glass transition decides whether a styrenic system reaches that window. Rubber-based pressure-sensitive adhesives get there with tackifier and oil, and Kraton gives -10 to 10 °C (14 to 50 °F) as the target Tg of the tackified elastomer phase (ASI, 2007). The bare midblocks start far lower: about -58 °C (-72 °F) for SIS and -84 °C (-119 °F) for SBS.
Acrylic PSAs set Tg by label and tape type instead. The Chu windows, cited in a Pressure Sensitive Tape Council paper by Kauffman, put tapes at -15 to 10 °C (5 to 50 °F), permanent labels at -20 to -10 °C (-4 to 14 °F) and freezer labels at -30 to -10 °C (-22 to 14 °F).
How Much Base Polymer Goes Into an Adhesive?#
In Example 6 of US patent application 2016/0230051 A1 the EVA is 50 wt % of a packaging hot melt, and the claims of the same document run from 40 to 85 wt % ethylene copolymer. The same example carries 19.5 wt % tackifier and 30 wt % Fischer-Tropsch wax.
Polyolefin backbones run higher. The table below gives each published loading with its basis, and Examples 1 and 2 of US patent application 2012/0328805 A1 hold the highest example value in it, at 81.5 wt % APAO.
| Adhesive | Base polymer share | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EVA packaging hot melt | 50 wt % EVA in Example 6; 40 to 85 wt % ethylene copolymer (claim range) | wt % of formulation | US20160230051A1 |
| Polyolefin hot melt (APAO) | 81.5 wt % in Examples 1 and 2; at least 55 wt % (60 to 85) claimed | wt % of formulation | US20120328805A1 |
| Low-application-temperature packaging hot melt | metallocene ethylene interpolymer 10 to 50 wt % (20 to 30 preferred), described range | wt % of formulation | EP3541887B1 |
| Elastic attachment (hygiene) | olefin block copolymer 5 to 50 wt % (12 to 20 most preferred), described range | wt % of formulation | US8921474B2 |
| Hot melt PSA, packaging tape | SIS 43 wt % with Escorez 2203LC 52, oil 4, antioxidant 1 | wt % of formulation | example 1 of 2, ExxonMobil/Dexco, ASI article 87867 (2009) |
| Elastic attachment (hygiene, SBC) | SIS 30 wt % with Escorez 5637 50, end-block resin 5, mineral oil 15 | wt % of formulation | example 2 of 2, ExxonMobil/Dexco, ASI article 87867 (2009) |
| Rubber hot melt label PSA | SIS 31 wt % with C5 resin 41.6, liquid C5 27, antioxidant 0.4 | wt % of formulation | ASI article 93852 |
| SBS hot melt PSA | SBS 75 + SB random copolymer 25 / resin 175 / oil 50 / antioxidant 2 parts: SBS about 23 wt %, total rubber about 31 wt % | calculated from parts (75 and 100 of 327) | US6605680B1 |
| Hot melt (patent scope) | copolymer blend 50 to 90 wt % in one embodiment | wt % of formulation | EP1976953B1 |
| Acrylic PSA (untackified) | 100 % of the polymer phase | polymer phase | BASF Acronal V 212 TDS, September 2008 |
| Silicone PSA | MQ resin about 40 to 70 parts per 100 parts resin plus gum | parts per 100 resin plus gum | EP0524776A1 |
| Heat-activated PUD adhesive | PUD 100 parts, polyisocyanate 3 to 5, thickener 0 to 2 | parts by weight | Dormish, ASI 2005 |
| 2K STPE adhesive | polymer 20.25 to 25 wt % with 10 to 20 wt % PPG 2000 | wt % of formulation, published examples | US20120107626A1 |
Styrenic block copolymer hot melt PSAs carry less polymer than tackifier, as the ExxonMobil/Dexco examples and US patent 6,605,680 B1 show. The balance goes to tackifier resins for adhesives, which outweigh the polymer in every SBC formula of the table.
Water-based and reactive systems count the polymer as 100 parts or as the whole polymer phase, so a share on one basis never compares directly with a wt % on another.
How Are Adhesive Base Polymers Regulated?#
None of the 22 adhesive base polymers on this page has a CLP Annex VI entry, and as polymers they are exempt from REACH registration under Article 2(9). Their monomers are registered separately, and the hazard label of a base polymer grade comes from residual monomers, preservatives and siloxane residues.
In the United States the question is food packaging: each member is named in 21 CFR 175.105 or 175.125, named through its monomers, or not named, as set out below.
CLP, REACH and Residual Monomers#
Residual vinyl acetate monomer (CAS 108-05-4) carries CLP Annex VI 607-023-00-0: Flam. Liq. 2 H225, Acute Tox. 4 H332, STOT SE 3 H335 and Carc. 2 H351, in application since 2015-01-01 (ATP05). Residual monomers and additives, not the polymers, drive the CLP hazard labeling for adhesives made from these grades. N-methylolacrylamide (NMA, CAS 924-42-5), the crosslinking comonomer of D4 PVAc grades, carries Annex VI 616-230-00-5: Carc. 1B H350, Muta. 1B H340 and STOT RE 1 H372 (ATP15, applicable since 2022-03-01).
NMA has also been on the REACH Candidate List since 2022-06-10. The polymers checked against that list on ECHA CHEM are not on it: EVA, APAO (9010-79-1), metallocene polyolefins (26221-73-8), EnBA, EMA and the polyamide type 68650-50-0 on 2026-11-02, and PIB on 2026-09-22.
Silicones bring siloxane residues. D4, D5 and D6 have been on the Candidate List since 2018-06-27, and REACH Annex XVII entry 70, as replaced by Regulation (EU) 2024/1328, bars each at 0.1 % w/w or more from the market after 2026-06-06, with residues up to 1 % each allowed in mixtures for adhesion, sealing, gluing and casting. PUD polyisocyanate crosslinkers fall under entry 74 (Regulation (EU) 2020/1149): since 2023-08-24, industrial or professional use at 0.1 % by weight or more of diisocyanates, individually and in combination, requires prior training. Preserved dispersions carry EUH208, as in the Covestro Dispercoll U 54 safety data sheet (revision 2025-11-27): "Contains CMIT/MIT (3:1). May produce an allergic reaction."
US Food-Packaging Listings by Base Polymer#
21 CFR 175.105(c)(5) names EVA, SBS, butyl rubber, natural rubber, polychloroprene, polyamides and polysiloxanes by name or monomer for food-packaging adhesives, while SIS, SEBS and MQ resin are not named. Conditions of use for food-contact adhesives sit in the same section: a functional barrier, dry food, or fatty and aqueous food only as the trace amount at seams and edge exposure. Section 175.125 covers pressure-sensitive labels and tapes, and among the polymers on this page its closed (b)(2) list for raw fruit and vegetables names natural rubber, cis-1,4-polyisoprene, butyl rubber, polyisobutylene and the butadiene copolymers with styrene and acrylonitrile (last amended 1999-09-03).
The table below shows how each member appears in the two sections (eCFR, title 21 up to date as of 2026-10-30).
| Members | 21 CFR 175.105(c)(5) | 21 CFR 175.125(b)(2) |
|---|---|---|
| EVA, VAE | ethylene and vinyl acetate (listed monomers) | not named |
| Ethylene acrylates | ethylene, butyl acrylate and methyl acrylate (listed monomers) | not named |
| APAO, metallocene polyolefins | "Polypropylene, noncrystalline"; ethylene-octene-1 copolymers with not less than 70 weight percent ethylene (CAS 26221-73-8) | not named |
| Polyamide resins | polyamides from dimerized vegetable oil acids with listed amines | not named |
| SIS | not named (isoprene not in the monomer list) | not named |
| SBS, SBR | "Styrene block polymers with 1,3-butadiene"; butadiene and styrene monomers | "Butadiene-styrene copolymer" |
| SEBS | not named | not named |
| PIB, butyl rubber | isobutylene (listed monomer); "Butyl rubber polymer" | "Polyisobutylene", "Butyl rubber" |
| Natural rubber | "Rubber latex, natural"; "Polyisoprene" | natural latex solids or crepe; "cis-1,4-Polyisoprene" |
| Polychloroprene | "Chloroprene" | not named |
| NBR | acrylonitrile and butadiene monomers | "Butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer", complying with 21 CFR 180.22 |
| Acrylic polymers | acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and other listed monomers | not named |
| PVAc, PVOH | vinyl acetate (listed monomer); vinyl alcohol units | not in (b)(2); PVAc enters through the 21 CFR 172.615 cross-reference of 175.125(a)(4) |
| PUD | polyurethane resins from listed diisocyanates and polyols | not named |
| Silicone polymers | "Polysiloxanes"; MQ resin not named | not named |
| Silyl-terminated polymers, TPU | see member page | see member page |
SBS has one further US route: 21 CFR 177.1810(a)(1), table item 1(ii), covers pressure-sensitive closure tapes on containers of at least 160 cc (5.5 fl oz) with a food-exposed adhesive area of not more than 4.03 cm² (0.625 in²). In the EU, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 lists adhesives as group 2 of its Annex I, and no EU specific measure exists for adhesives as such.
Sourcing Adhesive Base Polymers: Producers and Specifications#
Adhesive base polymers come from polymer producers whose brands outlive ownership changes, so a specification names the grade family, the current producer and the sales-specification limits rather than typical values. The grade values on this page come from data sheets and product pages of ExxonMobil, SK Functional Polymer, Dow, Henkel, Kraton, BASF, Covestro and Wacker, and two owners have changed: Kraton belongs to DL Chemical since March 2022, and Covestro to XRG (ADNOC), whose closing conditions were fulfilled on 2025-11-21.
A raw-material specification lists the fields a supplier quotes against, and they differ by family. Producers and distributors for each family are listed among adhesive raw material suppliers. For SBC the fields are type, styrene content, diblock content, melt flow rate and physical form; for EVA, VA content, melt index with its test conditions and antioxidant; for APAO and metallocene polyolefins, melt viscosity at 190 °C (374 °F), softening point, needle penetration and open time. Dispersions (VAE, PUD, acrylic and polychloroprene) are specified by solids, viscosity, pH, MFFT, Tg and particle size,
Supply Forms: Pellets, Granules, Emulsions and Solutions#
EVA ships as pellets, APAO as granulate, polyamides as amber granules, pellets, sticks or blocks, dispersions as milky white emulsions, and silicone PSAs as solutions in toluene or xylene. Evonik packs its APAO in 20 kg polyethylene bags on 1,000 kg pallets.