{"id":80,"date":"2024-07-03T16:24:24","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T15:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elastomer.kuraray.com\/in\/2024\/07\/03\/what-is-a-tackifier\/"},"modified":"2025-03-14T15:43:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T12:43:13","slug":"tackifier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elastomer.kuraray.com\/in\/blog\/tackifier\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a tackifier?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

What is a tackifier?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/p>

Robin Conrad<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\"\"
Tackifiers, which come in three main resin types, are a key ingredient in adhesives and sealants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Tackifiers for adhesives and sealants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the base polymer<\/strong>, the tackifier is the most important component of an adhesive<\/a><\/strong>. While the base polymer determines the adhesive\u2019s cohesion and elasticity, the tack<\/strong>, or stickiness, comes from the type and concentration of tackifier used. To create a strong product with the right level of tack, a formulation must strike the correct balance between adhesion and cohesion by adjusting the type and amount of tackifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tackifiers are most often used in pressure-sensitive adhesives or hot melt adhesives, but they can also be used in water-based adhesives<\/strong> as resin dispersions<\/strong>, which are usually manufactured by emulsifying the resin in the aqueous solvent. They are also sometimes used to control the properties of products such as tires<\/a><\/strong>, rubber, paint, ink, and oil<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Hot melt adhesives<\/strong><\/a> and pressure-sensitive adhesives rely on tackifiers for their stickiness<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Disambiguation: Soil stabilizing tackifiers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adhesive tackifiers are sometimes confused with soil stabilizers<\/strong>, which may also be called tackifiers. These soil stabilizing tackifiers are hydraulically applied to the ground in areas prone to wind or water erosion to promote soil adhesion, and may include plant materials like starch or resin, polymeric emulsions, or cementitious binders such as gypsum. Although used in binding soil, they are not adhesives in the traditional sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Functions of tackifiers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In adhesives and sealants<\/strong><\/a>, tackifiers are mixed with base polymers<\/strong> that provide cohesion but lack tackiness or pressure sensitivity. By varying the type and concentration of tackifier, a product\u2019s tack, peel strength, and shear strength can all be modified. Generally, tack and peel strength increases<\/strong> as the concentration of tackifier in an adhesive increase, while shear strength decreases<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n