According to the Adhesive and Sealant Council’s most recent North American Market Report, the packaging sector makes up 59% of the market, with 4 billion pounds of product shipped in the North America (North America total market is 7 billion pounds). Packaging in adhesives covers a wide swath of products and market segments, including converting, flexible packaging, high-gloss laminating, non-woven fabrics, PSAs and even bookbinding.
Packaging leverages the full range of technology types available to a consumer goods company, including: natural adhesives, polymer dispersions/emulsion adhesives, hot melt, solvent based, reactive adhesives and water-based solutions. However, more than half of the shipments in 2012 were of the “polymer dispersions and emulsions” variety, including PVAs, acrylics, SBR, PUD and natural rubber latex.