Let’s start with who loves dextrin adhesives. The packaging industry for one. That’s because dextrin is especially good at bonding paper materials together. Think no further than that popular corrugated box that Amazon just shipped to your home or office and you get the picture. Now, throw in anyone who manufactures tapes, bottle labels, envelopes and other paperboard cartons and you begin to see the wide-ranging impact that dextrin adhesives have in the marketplace.

Where does dextrin come from?

In a word “starch”, that natural polymer derived from plants like corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, etc. When you process that starch a bit further than normal you end up with dextrin.

Why is it so popular?

Because starch is derived from plentiful, natural ingredients, it remains among the least expensive packaging adhesives on the market today. In addition, those natural ingredients make it both non-toxic and biodegradable. All of these bring business benefits that are hard to pass up.

Is it affected by temperature and curing time?

Soluble in water, dextrin adhesives can be applied hot or cold and they offer excellent heat resistance. In addition, dextrin’s slow curing rate offers real advantages for any application that requires a longer set time or assembly time.

How is dextrin adhesive made?

The most common method for creating dextrin is to dry-roast cornstarch in an acid catalyst. Why cornstarch? Mostly because of its low cost and ready availability versus other starches. But other starches can be used as well.

What are the most common types?

Dextrin comes in three types – yellow (low molecular weight), white (intermediate molecular weight), and British gums (high molecular weight). Having different options for molecular weight allows you to customize around the specific viscosity and adhesion strength requirements your application needs.

Are you in need of a specially formulated dextrin adhesive?

At Evans Adhesive, we are built to provide custom solutions around customer needs. Whether it’s a new adhesive and sealant formulation for an existing application, or bonding solutions for brand new applications, our research and production teams stand ready to work closely with you to customize a solution that meets your exacting performance requirements. To learn more, or to request a free sample, give us a call or Contact Us today.