Focus on biopolymer films

HB Fuller will host a special workshop on February 20 as part of the NatureWorks Ingeo ‘Innovation Takes Root’ conference in Orlando, Florida.

Key members of the company's technical team will outline the role of adhesives and key essentials for laminating biopolymer films into flexible packaging.

The half-day workshop will cover the various biopolymers which are commercially available today and the films which have been produced from them and the requirements of flexible polymer films and film combinations (co-extrusions and laminations) used to produce flexible packaging.

It will also examine practical techniques to improve lamination quality, including special requirements for sustainable films and the laminating adhesive systems that are already commercially successful.

During 2011, the company launched the Full-Care range of high-performance hot melts for nonwovens, with applications for elastic panels, cores, textile backsheets and other hygiene products components developed to help manufacturers overcome challenges in adhesive performance and supply availability, while potentially lowering in-use costs.

HB Fuller has in-house coating capabilities and rigorous testing methods, and the Full-Care hot melt adhesives can be tailored to perform on its customers’ lines, even before trial stages.

The Full-Care adhesives are produced using multiple technology platforms including olefin-based technology, which can be processed from materials derived from either crude oil or natural gas. With current supply limitations for crude oil-based feedstocks, HB Fuller is aiming to provide assurance that future supplies will be more secure.