BASF and HP Launch Waterborne Adhesives for Flexible Packaging

BASF and HP Indigo jointly launched Epotal. Image from BASF company.

[Chinese Packaging News] BASF and HP Indigo have recently developed a water-based adhesive that can be used in flexible packaging made by the HP Indigo ElectroInk program.

Epotal adhesives are alternatives to solvent-based and solvent-free adhesives for the bonding of food flexible packaging films.

HP Indigo Electronic Liquid Ink

Nurit Raccah, director of label and packaging media and materials business at Hewlett-Packard's Indigo, said that HP's Indigo digital printing has entered the mainstream of flexible packaging, meaning that a variety of adhesive properties are needed for the HP Indigo ElectroInk.

"HP has always been committed to reducing turnaround time to expand the value of digital printing products."

"This collaboration with BASF fulfills the company's commitment to provide HP Indigo customers with superior end-to-end technology with superior performance."

"BASF has developed several adhesives for digital printing, including dry composite adhesives for food packaging."

The main advantages of waterborne adhesives:

• slot immediately

• Quick response to customer needs

• Does not contain toxic substances

• Get food contact approval

• Wide range of applications

Shorten the production cycle

Waterborne adhesives allow the film to be slotted immediately after coating. As a result, the production cycle is shortened so that customer needs can be quickly satisfied.

Dr. Axel Weiss, Head of European Marketing for BASF's Industrial Adhesives, said that the company has recently developed two water-based adhesives for digital ink: Epotal DP3820X and Basonat LR 9056.

He added: "After mixing with HP Indigo Pack Ready Coating, these adhesives can be used in the production of cooking bags with the best coating quality."

Film can be slotted directly

"Epotal, a high-adhesion, water-based adhesive, allows the film to be grooved directly."

“Since the waterborne adhesive is a fully reactive adhesive system, hardly any hardening time is required. It shortens production time, allows printing and gluing to be done at one go, and offers customers greater flexibility.”

"In addition, aqueous adhesives - thanks to their chemical composition - are natural safety systems for food packaging production. They do not contain any organic solvents and aromatic isocyanates. The migration potential is almost completely eliminated."

Raccah added that in the "Pack Ready" bonding process, composite films with specially designed thermoplastic polymer layers are heat activated and stuck to the HP Indigo ElectroInk print layer to form a mechanical interlocking molecular structure.

All Pack Ready films are food-grade and comply with global food packaging safety regulations. Since the Pack Ready program does not use adhesives, there is no risk of migration of the adhesive's chemical composition such as isocyanates when used in double-layer films.