Water-based lamination adhesives for the packaging industry
The packaging is often the consumer’s first point of contact with a product. Whether your focus is on the look and feel or the performance characteristics of your packaging, BASF offers adhesive dispersions for a broad range of packaging applications for varying performance grades.
Choose your application segment
Switch to the future.
Switch to water-based lamination adhesives.
Glossy Film Lamination
Protect printed surfaces from abrasion and enhance their tear resistance. Glossy film lamination is the sophisticated way to refine printed products.
This process involves the use of an adhesive to laminate plastic film onto a printed packaging carton. This not only enhances the performance characteristics of the packaging, but also increases its appeal and shine.
Glossy film lamination is typically used for book spines, glossy brochures or perfume boxes.
Looking to formulate your own water-based adhesives? Our portfolio also includes additives such as wetting agents, defoamers and rheology modifiers that can be used for many different applications.
Acronal® & Basonat® – the finishing touch for printed products
Acrylic dispersions and polyisocyanates for the adhesive lamination of packaging
| Product name | Technology | TI | Application properties |
| Acronal® 3648 | Acrylic dispersion |
Adhesive raw material for an outstanding resistance to grooving and embossing | |
| Acronal® 3591 | Acrylic dispersion |
Adhesive raw material for a high resistance to grooving and embossing |
|
| Acronal® 3850 | Acrylic dispersion |
Adhesive raw material for a high resistance to grooving and embossing, good results in combination with Acronal 3648 and Acronal 3591 | |
| Acronal® 3640 | Acrylic dispersion |
Adhesive raw material approved for food contact | |
| Basonat® HW 1000 | Hydrophilic modified polyisocyanate |
Water-dispersible cross-linking agent for 2C adhesives | |
| Basonat® HW 1180 PC | Hydrophilic modified polyisocyanate |
Low viscous cross-linking agent for 2C adhesives |
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Film-to-Film Lamination
Make the most of your packaging’s end-of-life with our special range of adhesives for film-to-film lamination.
Flexibility, durability and sustainability can go hand in hand – with the right packaging.
Several layers of film combined with the right adhesive formulation results in packaging with desirable properties such as good mechanical stability, good printability or light impermeability.
This is why multi-layered packaging is ideal for highly customizable products such as stand-up pouches.
A viable alternative at all performance levels, the Epotal® family stands out with innovative, dedicated products such as the 1C solution for medium performance applications, home compostable adhesives and retort solutions that can even be used for digital printing processes and barrier products.
Besides the most important function of protecting food with the right packaging, we even go one step further and enable with our products more sustainable end-of-life options.
Epotal® - Flexible, durable & food contact-approved adhesives made by BASF allow for strong differentiation on the market
Our water-based adhesives offer significant benefits for your packaging products such as the reduction of costs through easier and faster handling with lower off-spec risks. They also increase flexibility by making interim storage unnecessary. Additional benefits include time savings and improved safety during and after the manufacturing process.
Reduce costs
Easier, faster handling with lower off-spec risks.
Increase flexibility
“Lean production”, no interim storage necessary.
Save time
High green strength, short lead times, practically no curing.
Improve safety
Low VOCs, no aromatic isocyanates, glymo or organic solvents.
Interpack 2023
- Numerous trials in the last years
- BASF’s Epotal® portfolio is qualified on BOBST laminator
- Epotal® grades can be used for different performance levels and materials
- Higher competence in different lamination applications gained
- Intense customer support for existing and new solutions
- Enables unique application possibilities that are sustainable
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- Collaboration project gives proof of concept for closed recycling loop for PET-based multi-layer packaging
- Recycling process can be implemented directly using the existing infrastructure
- Multi-layer packaging meets requirements for the recyclability of packaging according to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
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- Recyclable Paper Trays with Epotal® grades (e. g. our Epotal® FLX 3662)
- LEIPAform from LEIPA Flexibles is a deep drawable paper-based composite solution for fresh food packaging – without compromising on barrier and sealability
- Replacement of pure plastic-based packaging materials possible
Recyclable Paper Trays with Epotal® grades (e. g. our Epotal® FLX 3662) allow to replace pure plastic based packaging materials. A cooperation of BASF and LEIPA.
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| Performance Segment | BASF Products | Product Example |
| High Performance / Retort | Epotal® CF 600 series | Epotal CF 605 X |
| Medium Performance | Epotal® CF 500 series | Epotal CF 512 X |
| General Purpose | Epotal® CF 300 series | Epotal CF 305 X |
| Compostable | Epotal® ECO series | Epotal ECO 3675 |
| Digital Printing | Epotal® CF series | Epotal CF 501 X |
| Barrier | Epotal® BLX series | Epotal BLX 3801 + 3802 X |
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Epotal®: End-of-life solutions made easy
Water-based lamination adhesives enable the recycling of multi-layer packaging materials
Nowadays, end-of-life options and recyclability of packaging materials are critical topics that need to be addressed by the whole packaging industry. To meet the ambitious targets that have been set for packaging materials in the future, all players in the value chain need to get involved and work together. BASF already offers a variety of options for improving the recyclability of packaging materials through the use of Epotal® lamination adhesives and is working with different partners to realize a number of projects relating to this topic.
The separation of multi-layer packaging materials is a recycling option that is already being used today, but one that we believe will become even more important in the future. With this approach, no compromises are necessary in terms of the technical performance of the packaging. At the same time, waste materials can be recycled after separation via the same process as used for mono-material packaging. Incorporating water-based adhesives into this process has many advantages, such as easier separation and improved recyclate quality. One of our ongoing projects involves the development of special adhesives for this recycling option.
Functional Coatings
Different effects can be achieved by coating packaging with dispersions.
For example, in order to combine PVDC and PVC, you need to use adhesion-boosting dispersions as primers. Special dispersion coatings are applied to packaging for aroma preservation or to serve as a mineral oil barrier. No matter whether barrier coatings, adhesion-boosting substances or re-sealable packaging are required – BASF offers dispersions and additives, particularly stabilizers, for a broad range of functional coatings.
Specialty adhesives for packaging
Our portfolio of dispersions for specific applications
| Product name | Technology | TI | Application properties |
| Emuldur® 381 A | Polyurethane dispersion | Suitable for use as adhesion promoters and for barrier applications, excellent performance with PVC / PVDC / PE / PP | |
| Epotal® P 350 | Polyurethane dispersion | Suitable for use in adhesion promoter applications for polyolefinic films | |
| Epotal® A 816 | Acrylic dispersion | Barrier coatings for films to protect against mineral oil, grease, aroma | |
| Epotal® 3642 X | Acrylic dispersion |
Suitable for use in can sealing, alu-paper lamination and vapor barrier coatings |
|
| Gliding dispersion 8645 | Wax dispersion | Suitable for use as a slip agent and additive to improve block-resistance |
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We help you keep it safe
Kresimir Cule
Commercial Marketing Industrial Adhesives
Would you like to have more information about our adhesive technologies? Do you need samples of our dispersions? Are you looking for a reliable, long-term partner?
Our expertise for your industry: our teams will tell you more about the production and processing of industrial adhesives and support you along the entire value and process chain:
- Formulation
- Technical setup
- Handling
- Testing
- Certification