The application of PUR hotmelt adhesive as sealant for washing machine
Lucas Hyunseob Shim
AG GM/IA TCS, Henkel Korea
Abstract humidity without no specific change in
assembled goods.
PUR hotmelt adhesive has good performance in Meanwhile, Technomelt PUR 4661 represents
terms of fast fixture and good adhesion to various PUR adhesive especially to glass bonding due to
substrates. Hence, PUR hotmelt provides fast distinctive character among Technomelt PUR
productivity and high performance to our adhesives. Also, it shows relatively long open
customers, especially for customers in appliance time and good adhesion to glass and plastics, so
industry. it is appropriate solution to appliance product
Recently, the appliance market is developing because of great performance and automated
rapidly, hence the requirement on adhesive has dispensing system. As Henkel PUR successfully
become more critical. PUR hotmelt is expected was introduced to appliance market, specific
to be used not only as an adhesive but also as a customer has considered using PUR to realize
sealant for appliances. In this paper, PUR hotmelt unique design. Therefore, the idea using PUR as
is considered as a sealant, especially for washing a sealant has been come out, and it needs to check
machine with qualified appearance and availability as a sealant in appliance categories.
performance. The results from this work provide
a guideline for our customers to choose proper In this paper, Technomelt PUR 4661 was chosen
PUR hotmelt adhesives for washing machine. to bond glass and PCTG (Poly
Cyclohexylenedimethylene Terephthalate Glycol
modified_Plastic) by customer’s request and this
Introduction is for assemble to washing machine as a sealant.
Generally, the bond gap of PUR should be
Polyurethane (PUR) hotmelt is thermoplastic narrow(in part or specimen) to ensure higher
during initial melting operation, so initial tack is strength, but specific situation was required to fill
achieved after cooling. Eventually, it changes to wide gap with good adhesion. Besides harsh
thermoset after full-cure, as a result, PUR hotmelt operation conditions of washing machine like
can achieve better thermal resistance than normal 100℃ heat resistance test should be passed, even
hotmelts such as EVA, PSA hotmelt, etc.
sometimes at 120℃(max range).
In addition, PUR hotmelt has good adhesion to
various substrates such as metals, paper, and
When it comes to cure mechanism of PUR, it
many plastics. It means PUR can meet critical
reacts with moisture, and to form thermoset. CO2
requirements based on high performance
gas is emitted during cure, so if adhesive is
especially in appliance industry. However,
exposed to exterior, trapped CO2 gas would be
general appliance test should be passed at
observed in adhesive bead, and this is easily
reliability conditions at high temperature / high
detected when bead is thicker. Therefore, if PUR
adhesive would be exposed to exterior with thick
bead, it is not acceptable to customer because of 2) Put specimens into chamber at each condition
appearance issue. Thus, relation between (temperature/humidity)
appearance and performance should be figured 3) Leave specimen for 1/3/5/7days to be cured,
out. This paper presents evaluation of and then take it out.
TECHNOMELT PUR 4661 in terms of 4) Cut both edges of bead. (Top and bottom)
appearance depending on cure condition and 5) Leave specimen vertically at oven
dispensed bead width. (120℃/10min, 100℃/1hr)
6) Observe whether bubble is in or not
7) Observe whether be flowed or not
Analysis 3. Lap shear strength
(Depends on cure conditions)
Methods:
1) Dispense Technomelt PUR 4661 and assemble
1. Appearance of PUR 4661 after exposure at with PCTG and glass
high temperature (thick bead) 2) Put specimens into chamber at each condition
(Depends on cure conditions) (temperature/humidity)
3) Check strength after 3 days cure
1) Dispense Technomelt PUR 4661 with
8~10mm width on glass specimen. 4. Lap shear strength through time
2) Cover Al foil only to side of the bead to be (cure at 5℃/30% humidity)
blocked with air, and let it exposed to air.
(upper and bottom of the bead are exposed to 1) Dispense Technomelt PUR 4661 and assemble
air) with PCTG and glass
3) Put specimens into chamber at each condition 2) Put specimens into chamber at 5℃/30%
(temperature/humidity)
humidity chamber
4) Leave specimen for 1/3/5/7days to be cured,
3) Check strength after 1/3/5/7 days cure
and then take it out.
5) Cut both edges of bead. (Top and bottom)
6) Leave specimen vertically at oven
Results and Discussion
(120℃/10min, 100℃/1hr)
7) Observe whether bubble is in or not Table 1 shows that bubble is less observed at
8) Observe whether be flowed or not cure of lower temperature. Also, more bubble is
detected through cure time, but it is distinct at
2. Appearance of PUR 4661 after exposure at cure of higher temperature.
high temperature (narrow bead)
(Depends on cure conditions)
1) Dispense Technomelt PUR 4661 with 1mm
width on glass specimen.
Table 1: Bubble observation (Thick bead) Table 2: Observation of flow down (Thick bead)
Figure 2: Flowed down or not depending on
Figure 1: Bubble observation (Thick bead) cure temperature (Thick bead)
Table 2 shows that adhesive was flowed down Figure 3 shows that little bubble is observed at
after cure of lower temperature, not cure of high temperature, and no bubble at cure
hightemperature. Flowing down means PUR of lower temperature
doesnot enough changed to thermoset,
and it meansfail to reliability standard.
Conclusions
1. CO2 gas is emitted during cure of PUR, and
this can be trapped as bubble in PUR bead.
2. Much bubble is shown when it is exposed to
higher temperature during cure.
3. Higher temperature makes PUR cured fast
4. Cure speed of PUR is likely to be related with
Figure 3: Bubble observation (Narrow bead) temperature than humidity.
5. The thicker bead of PUR is, the slower cure
is. If fast cure is required, thin and narrow
bead dispensing is recommendable.
6. PUR 4661 is required to have enough time to
be fully cured (at least more than 3 days in
RT)
7. If PUR is dispensed thicker width like sealant,
should be noticed that bubbles will be
observed.
Figure 4: Lap shear strength depending on cure References
condition with each temperature and
humidity (x axis) after 3 days cure STM-700 : Shear Strength of Adhesive Using
Lap-Shear Specimens
Figure 5 shows the increase of strength starting
from day 1 to day 7, full cure continues until 7
days at low temperature (5℃/30% )
Figure 5: Lap shear strength over time_at
5℃/30% humidity (Low temperature)
