Creating a removable pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA)

The Brief: Develop a water based adhesive designed for the manufacture of self-adhesive labels, tapes and films where clean removability is required. Formulated to provide a balance between adequate initial tack, good adhesion to substrates, and clean peel-off without leaving residue or damaging the surface.

The Results:

Our ST4808 formulation has been developed to deliver across a range of criteria including. 

Clean removability: No adhesive transfer or surface damage after removal—even after aging or exposure to moderate temperatures.

Controlled tack and peel strength: Enough to hold the label/tape securely during use, but low enough to allow easy removal.

Substrate versatility: Adheres to a range of surfaces including plastic, glass, and metal.

Repositionability: Allowing for multiple repositionings throughout the duration of use.

 Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used across nearly every industry because of their ability to stick with light pressure and don’t require heat, water, or solvents to activate, we believe their usage will continue to grow as industries seek alternatives to mechanical fasteners or solvent-based adhesives. 

 If you'd like to find out more about our solution then get in touch to speak to the team.

Pulpex x BASF x Scitech Adhesives - Coatings Collaboration

The Pulpex partnership with BASF and Scitech Adhesives is a unique blend of distinct competencies and capabilities that enables and facilitates commercial success.

When Pulpex developed its renewable fibre bottle technology from sustainably sourced wood pulp, BASF stepped in to accelerate the options for coating chemistries to form an array of commercial products.

Cellulose fibres, when formed into a bottle shape, will not hold liquid, so a recyclable barrier chemistry solution was needed. It quickly became clear that different products required different barrier properties to protect them from the environment and prevent liquid from escaping from the bottle and that’s where we stepped in to complete the partnership. A collaboration that has resulted in a fibre bottle that offers brand owners a sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic and glass bottles.

We had a great time at the Chemuk25 Expo collecting our award for 'Innovation through Partnership' with Pulpex and BASF and are incredibly proud of the part we have played in the creation of a fibre bottle that offers brand owners a sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic and glass. Read more about this in our case study

Scitech, Pulpex and BASF. An award-winning collaboration

The Brief: We were asked to create a fully recyclable paper bottle, with the same barrier performance as glass and plastic. It had to be suitable to package drinks like  water and whiskey, and household products, such as laundry detergent, shampoo and vitamin tablets. With such an ambitious brief, we couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

Pulpex and BASF approached us in 2020 because of our expertise and knowledge in water-based chemistry. They asked Scitech to convert BASF’s high-performance materials into coatings with the required functionality which could also be applied through Pulpex’s paper bottle-making process.

What Scitech did: We conducted numerous trials testing different formulations to achieve the performance that consumers expect from these well-known products. It was essential that we maintained the safety of the product contained (i.e. food contact approval) and ensured that the bottle could be recycled through standard kerbside recycling infrastructure. 

The recyclability of the bottle was particularly important because research from Cepi in 2022 found paper recycling rates to be over 70%, significantly higher than plastic recycling rates. The joint ambition was that creating a paper-based alternative for consumer goods currently packaged in recyclable plastics would increase the likelihood of the packaging actually being recycled.

The Results: The development of an innovative, sustainable product offering commercial and environmental advantages and the creation of a long-term partnership between Scitech, Pulpex and BASF. This project has been recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and was awarded The 2024 Innovation Through Partnership prize. The project is currently in the scale-up and process optimisation stage, with plans to launch the first product range by the end of 2024.

Get in touch with the team to find out more.

Pioneering work with compostable adhesives

The Brief: Back in 2010, Scitech was the pioneering force behind the creation of the world’s first compostable laminating adhesive system for flexible packaging. 

We knew the multilayer laminates used in food packaging were causing a problem for the planet. They were hard to recycle and were contributing to the rapid growth in global plastic pollution. Evidence of the scale of the issue can be found in a 2022 report from the OECD which found that:

• Global plastics production doubled between 2000 and 2019 to reach 460 million tonnes. And so did the generation of plastic waste. Nearly two-thirds of plastic waste comes from plastics with lifetimes of under five years, such as packaging.

• Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled. 19% is incinerated, 50% ends up in landfill and 22% evades waste management systems and goes into uncontrolled dumpsites. 

This is bad news for the whole planet, but particularly for our aquatic environments. There is an estimated 30 metric tonnes of plastic waste in our seas and oceans, and a further 109 metric tonnes in our rivers. That’s why Scitech set out to find a solution to this environmental threat. 

The Results: In 2016, our compostable adhesive system hit the market. It was independently tested to the EN13432 standard for industrial composability.The Scitech system means that compostable packaging biodegrades into organic matter within six to twelve months and does not create microplastics in the environment. Our customers have achieved both home and industrial compostability certification by using our adhesive in their laminate structure. 

In 2020, we added a compostable heat seal to our portfolio of compostable grades, allowing our customers to produce compostable pouches for food and non-food products. We continue to innovate in this space to provide compostable solutions that can be applied across a number of packaging applications.

Get in touch with the team to find out more.