Thermal, viscoelastic and adhesion properties of EVA (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) hot melts containing polypropylene waxes of different nature

Wax determines the compatibility of tackifier and polymer in hot melt adhesives. Although the influence of the addition of microcrystalline and Fischer-Tropsch waxes on the properties of ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) hot melts has been studied, the addition of polypropylene wax has not been considered yet. In this study, different polypropylene waxes (polypropylene wax – PP, – maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene wax – PPMA – copolymer of polypropylene and 10.9 wt.% polyethylene wax – PP-E) were added to EVA hot melts and they were characterized by Brookfield viscosity, softening point measurement, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, plate–plate rheology, tack, and single-lap shear adhesion. The viscosities of EVA hot melts containing polypropylene waxes were relatively high, the highest viscosity corresponded to the formulation containing PP-E wax which also showed pseudoplasticity. The change in viscoelastic properties (i.e., from dominantly viscous to dominantly elastic) was produced at lower temperature in EVA hot melt containing PP-E wax, this adhesive exhibited the highest tack. On the other hand, the addition of acrylic PPMA wax increased the adhesion of EVA hot melt but lower tack was obtained. Finally, the PP-E wax was more compatible with EVA copolymer than the other polypropylene waxes.