Blog article for Bostik

Many industries today rely heavily on adhesives to create seamless bonding across the most challenging surfaces. Challenging surfaces such as industrial containers, motorcycle wraps, and reflective films typically require specialty films that can withstand the pressures of environmental elements, underscoring the importance of making the right choice of adhesive in film-making.

In Asia Pacific, the size of the specialty film market was reported to have hit nearly US$14 million in 2023, accounting for 46.1% of the global market, and will continue to have a strong growth potential, with its growth expected to hit 7.4% YOY through 2030.

At Bostik, we recognise this demand for and importance of adhesives for specialty films, including for difficult-to-bond surfaces that are often irregular and rough, camber or uneven, and frequently exposed to harsh weathering conditions.

The challenges of difficult-to-bond surfaces

Industrial containers are usually made of aluminium or Corten steel - a combination of steel and other metals - for their unique properties and strength against harsh weathering and transportation conditions. The walls of industrial containers are often corrugated and made with ridges to enforce the strength of the structure. However, this irregular and rough surface feature of the cargo shell often poses a challenge to the adhesion of graphics and specialty films due to its low surface energy, causing films to be prone to peeling and blistering.

In the same vein, vehicle wrap films, and reflective signs are often applied on automobiles' uneven camber surfaces, causing these films to stretch and fit surfaces of varying curvature. The unevenness of these surfaces poses difficulty to the work of the adhesive, resulting in gaps, bubbles, and wrinkles in the films after application. Specialty films applied on these uneven and curved surfaces are also prone to shrinkage when exposed for long hours under weathering conditions.

To tackle the challenges of these difficult-to-bond surfaces, manufacturers must choose the right adhesive for the job.

At Bostik, we play our part in creating films that are durable and long-lasting for outdoor applications. But that’s not all. Our adhesives are also designed to make films leave a clean and smooth finish. One example of our multi-functional innovation is our Bostik Aroset™ 951071, a pressure-sensitive adhesive designed for calendared polymeric vinyl films on difficult-to-bond with the following features:

• Robust cohesion on uneven surfaces with low surface energy

• High vinyl shrinkage resistance and excellent dimension stability for decal applications

• High resistance against leaching and migration of plasticiser to prevent loss in adhesive strength

• Long-lasting durability and resistance against harsh weathering conditions

Aroset™ 951071 is specifically designed to address the traditional challenges of specialty films for surfaces including (but not limited to) industrial containers, vehicle wraps, and reflective signages. For these highly specific applications, you’d want not only a clean and smooth finish but also strong weathering resistance against UV intensity, humidity, temperature, and endurance against gravel, rain, and chemical forces too. It is these exact qualities that Aroset™ 951071 is able to offer that makes it highly sought after.

Work with Bostik

Want to know more about our products? For more information, please visit us at: www.bostik.com