The U.S. adhesives and sealants industry consumed 300 million pounds of additives in 1999 valued at $325 million. Included are six major additive types and another category composed of a half-dozen smaller-volume additives.
Additives are typically only a minor percentage of a formulation, but their impact on application, product stability and performance characteristics can be dramatic. Their judicious use often spells the difference between meeting ultimate performance characteristics or failure.