Neal J. Earhart and Ambu Patel
CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, Ardsley, New York, U. S.A.
Gerrit Knobloch
CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, Basel, Switzerland
Adhesives are, in general, produced by the compounding of several different components: polymers, tackifier resins, and waxes or oils. The hydrocarbon-based components are susceptible to thermal oxidation and degradation [1]. Many adhesives are exposed to elevated temperatures as a result of compounding, storage, and end use. Hot-melt adhesives (HMAs), for example are extremely prone to oxidation due to their high compounding and application temperatures. Each hydrocarbon-based component in an adhesive formulation follows a similar oxidation mechanism. The result of degradation, however, can be very different and can greatly influence the overall thermal stability of the adhesive formulation.