Facts on File
How humidity and temperature affect
release performance
Release performance is affected by a very large number of potential variables, including humidity
and temperature.
Humidity and substrate stiffness
Substrate basis weight, and subsequent stiffness, is a major variable in the practical control of
release performance. A major influence on stiffness of paper substrates, which are by far the major
proportion of the market, is humidity.
Figure 1 shows the impact of humidity on release force, and Figure 2 shows the impact on release
profile.
Figure 2. Effect of humidity on release profile
of an emulsion acrylic adhesive-based
laminate made with paper backing and facing.
150
98% RH
90
80
70
100
60
Water-Based Acrylic
Release Force
Release Force at 120 m/min Peel Speed
Figure 1. Effect of humidity on release values.
100
50
40
Hot Melt
30
20
Ambient RH
50
10% RH
10
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Relative Humidity
70
80
90
100
0
3
10
100
400
Peel Rate, m/min
Temperature
Temperature will affect the rheological state of the adhesive, in particular, and also the state of the
silicone and substrates.
Practical application
These variables not only affect release testing, they have the same influence in practical use. Large
labels, for example, usually convert and matrix strip easily; but the same material, when used to
make very small labels, may prove too stiff, and the labels
Figure 3. Effect of label stiffness on release
performance.
will lift off as the laminate moves over small-diameter rollers.
(See Figure 3.)
Label “Lift-Off”
A further example is asphalt, which is easily removed from
release liner when cold and hard, but removal becomes increasingly difficult as the asphalt warms and becomes more rubbery.
Large Labels
Small Labels
For troubleshooting assistance
Contact your Dow Corning technical representative or email paper.industry@dowcorning.com.
For pressure sensitive product and service information
Visit www.dowcorning.com/psi. For easy future reference, bookmark the page and add it to your
list of “Favorites.”
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