Hot melt adhesive film is a film-like hot melt adhesive product, which belongs to a type of hot melt adhesive in terms of classification. Its classification is similar to that of hot melt adhesive, but due to the appearance of the product, it has multiple classification methods. According to different classification methods, hot melt adhesive films can be divided into different types. Below Alster mainly introduces the types of hot melt adhesive films from the following 6 aspects (main ingredients of the product, product form, temperature, color, appearance, thickness, width, substrate, structure, etc.)
1. Classification by main ingredients
The main ingredients of hot melt adhesive film determine its performance and application range. According to different basic resins, hot melt adhesive film can be divided into the following categories:
EVA hot melt adhesive film
Made of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, it has good adaptability and strong adhesion. EVA hot melt adhesive film can bond a variety of materials, so it is widely used in shoe materials, automotive industry, architectural decoration and packaging. Its heat resistance and bonding properties make it one of the most in-demand hot melt adhesive films.
TPU hot melt adhesive film
Made of thermoplastic polyurethane, it has softness and strong waterproof properties. Due to its material characteristics, TPU hot melt adhesive film is widely used in seamless underwear, waterproof clothing and other fields. The elasticity and transparency of TPU hot melt adhesive film also make it the choice of many high-end clothing.
PES hot melt adhesive film
Made of polyester, it has strong bonding properties and is especially suitable for bonding metal materials. Therefore, it is widely used in the electronics field, especially in the bonding and packaging of components. At the same time, it is also widely used in composite materials in the new energy field.
PA hot melt adhesive film
Made of polyamide, it has excellent high temperature resistance, but it will harden and lose toughness in low temperature environments, and its low temperature performance needs to be improved through modification. PA hot melt adhesive film is mainly used in clothing, packaging and other fields, especially when working in high temperature environments.
PO hot melt adhesive film
With polyolefin as the main component, polyolefin includes polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). PO hot melt adhesive film has good comprehensive properties, especially when bonding metal materials. It is a type of hot melt adhesive film product with broad application prospects, widely used in electronic components, automobiles and home appliances.
2. Classification by product form
Hot melt adhesive films can be divided into hot melt adhesive films with substrates and hot melt adhesive films without substrates according to different production processes.
Hot melt adhesive film with substrate
This hot melt adhesive film needs to be attached to the substrate. Common substrates include release paper, PE film, etc., so it is also called paper adhesive film or PE film adhesive film. There are two main production processes for hot melt adhesive films with substrates: coating method and casting method. The coating method is to evenly apply a layer of hot melt adhesive on the substrate, while the casting method is to directly cast the glue into a film after melting. This type of hot melt adhesive film is mainly used in processes that require adhesive backing, such as some industrial bonding or packaging fields.
Non-substrate hot melt adhesive film
Non-substrate hot melt adhesive film does not rely on the support of the substrate. It looks similar to ordinary plastic film, but the difference is that it is sticky after heating, while ordinary plastic film is not sticky. Non-substrate hot melt adhesive film is usually produced by cast film or blow molding, and can also be obtained by peeling off the hot melt adhesive film with substrate, but this method is more expensive and suitable for factories without cast film and blow molding equipment. Non-substrate hot melt adhesive film is often used in clothing, electronic packaging and other fields due to its transparency and lightness.
3. Classification by temperature
Hot melt adhesive films can be divided into high temperature type, medium temperature type and low temperature type according to the different use temperatures. This type of classification is mainly used to select products in different working environments, but strictly speaking, temperature cannot be used as the main classification basis for hot melt adhesive films.
High temperature and high elasticity type
Suitable for applications in high temperature environments, such as high temperature industrial bonding. Typical high temperature hot melt adhesive films have high temperature tolerance and can still maintain good elasticity and viscosity at high temperatures.
Medium temperature and medium elasticity type
Suitable for general industrial and daily application scenarios, maintaining good elasticity and bonding strength at medium temperatures, and often used for bonding of clothing, packaging and some household appliances.
Low temperature and low elasticity type
Specially designed for low temperature environments, with the characteristics of maintaining flexibility and bonding performance at low temperatures, and often used for bonding needs in extremely cold environments.
4. Classification by color
According to the appearance color, hot melt adhesive film can be divided into several categories, such as transparent, white translucent, milky white and black.
Transparent hot melt adhesive film
usually includes high-temperature TPU, PA and PO hot melt adhesive film, with high transparency, suitable for some applications with high requirements for appearance, such as high-end clothing, electronic component packaging, etc.
White translucent hot melt adhesive film
commonly found in low-temperature TPU, PES, EVA and EAA hot melt adhesive films, showing different translucent effects due to the color of the raw materials themselves, suitable for the composite of daily clothing and decorative materials.
Milky white hot melt adhesive film
mainly exists in PES hot melt adhesive film, the milky white appearance is often used in industrial composite materials, with good covering effect.
Black hot melt adhesive film
usually made of TPU material, black is formed by adding colorant. Black hot melt adhesive film is less used, mainly in fields with special process requirements.
5. Classification by appearance
Hot melt adhesive film can be divided into two types: film and mesh according to appearance.
Film-like hot melt adhesive film
The film-like hot melt adhesive film has a smooth surface and is suitable for bonding composite materials that require a flat and smooth appearance, such as metal, glass, and plastic. Its appearance is more sealed and can provide good bonding effects. It is often used in high-demand industrial composite processes, such as the assembly of electronic products or the bonding of automotive interior materials.
Membrane-like hot melt adhesive film
The mesh-like hot melt adhesive film presents a mesh structure, has good air permeability and lightness, and is suitable for occasions that require softness and air permeability, especially in the field of clothing. Due to its good air permeability, the mesh-like adhesive film is often used for the bonding of seamless clothing and some sportswear, which can reduce the heaviness of the material while maintaining stickiness.
6. Classification by thickness
The thickness of the hot melt adhesive film usually ranges from 0.025mm to 0.1mm, and hot melt adhesive films of different thicknesses are suitable for different application requirements.
7. Classification by width
The width of hot melt adhesive film varies according to the application, usually ranging from 6mm to 1524mm, and some specific models are slightly different, such as 342-85 and 5801-85g.
Conventional hot melt adhesive film (6mm-1524mm)
This is the common width range of most hot melt adhesive films, suitable for a variety of industrial and clothing bonding applications. The narrower 6mm film is suitable for precision bonding and small components, while the wider 1524mm film is more suitable for bonding large areas of materials, such as building materials, automotive interiors, etc. This wide film can reduce seams in large-area coverage, improve production efficiency and bonding effects.
342-85/5801-85g hot melt adhesive film (6mm-1500mm)
These specific models of hot melt adhesive film have a slightly narrower width range, limited to between 6mm and 1500mm. The application scope of this type of film is usually more specialized and may be designed for certain specific industrial needs, such as specific composite materials, special process flows or demanding bonding occasions. They still maintain a wide range of applicability, but are slightly limited in width.
8.Classification by substrate
Hot melt adhesive films can be divided into two types according to the substrate: polyester TPU and polyether TPU. The two have different performances and are suitable for different applications.
Polyester TPU
Polyester TPU hot melt adhesive films have excellent mechanical properties, such as high strength, wear resistance and oil resistance, so they are widely used in occasions requiring high strength and durability. Polyester TPU also has good chemical resistance and is suitable for bonding automotive parts, industrial equipment, and sports shoes. It has good tensile strength and is stable in high temperature environments, making it suitable for outdoor and industrial use.
Polyether TPU
Compared with polyester, polyether TPU hot melt adhesive film has better softness and cold resistance, and stronger hydrolysis resistance, and is particularly suitable for applications exposed to humid environments for a long time. Polyether TPU is usually used for waterproof clothing, seamless underwear, and some products that require high flexibility and durability. In addition, polyether TPU can maintain good adhesion in extremely cold environments due to its good elasticity and low temperature performance, so it is commonly used in outdoor equipment and sportswear.
9. Classification by structure
Hot melt adhesive film can also be subdivided in structure, mainly divided into ordinary TPU film and spandex film.
Ordinary TPU hot melt adhesive film
Made of a single TPU material, it has good adhesion and flexibility and is widely used in various clothing, footwear and packaging fields.
Spandex film
It is composed of a three-layer structure of TPU + spandex mesh + TPU. This film combines the adhesiveness of TPU and the elasticity of spandex, and is widely used in high-elastic clothing such as sportswear, tights, etc.
Above, Alster has made a detailed introduction to the classification of hot melt adhesive films. If you have any questions about different types of hot melt adhesive films, please contact Alster. Our business manager will contact you soon and provide you with detailed hot melt adhesive films for clothing and textiles solutions!
