Eastman launched Regalite™ UltraPure hydrocarbon resins, a new class of clean tackifying resins, at the recent 2019 European Adhesive and Sealant Conference & Expo in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The new resin family reportedly addresses consumer concerns associated with odor, volatile organic compounds, and trace chemicals, particularly in hygiene products.

“When a parent opens a pack of diapers, the last thing they want to smell is chemicals,” said Ramya Ramaswamy, Eastman’s global marketing manager for hygiene and packaging. “We are doing our part to enable that via the introduction of this new class of resins. The need for products that meet these higher expectations without sacrificing performance is a challenge for adhesive formulators. We’re proud to say that Regalite UltraPure can help them achieve these goals.”

According to Eastman, tests show that Regalite UltraPure resins perform better than available alternatives in the industry. Three grades are in production scale-up and available for sampling, with full commercial production coming online at the end of first quarter 2020 and further introduction of the UltraPure version of the Regalite product portfolio shortly thereafter. In addition to the hygiene market, Eastman reports that UltraPure addresses growing consumer needs in the automotive, specialty tape, mattress, footwear, air filter, and food packaging industries.

“While consumers in North America may still like a ‘new car’ smell, it has the opposite effect in Europe and Asia,” said Michaela Hofbauer, Eastman’s group leader for adhesives technology. “They are now more concerned about things like odor and trace chemicals than they would have been 10 years ago. That’s the overarching trend with products consumers come in contact with, both inside the car and home. Products now face more scrutiny from consumer groups, nongovernmental organizations and governments. Across the value chain, people identify products that are odorless and colorless as better.”

For more information, visit www.eastman.com.