Permanent acrylic adhesive
This is the most widely used adhesive in general industrial labelling. It offers a balanced combination of chemical resistance, temperature range and compatibility with most high surface-energy surfaces. Its acrylic polymer-based formulation gives it long-term stability without losing adhesion or altering the substrate's properties.
When it's the first choice
When there's no extreme temperature or very intense cold, permanent acrylic is the default choice. It works in most industrial environments: painted or galvanised metal, glass, ABS, PETG and uncoated cardboard with low roughness. Its resistance to common solvents and prolonged UV exposure makes it suitable for long-life identification labels.
Technical note: Standard permanent acrylic isn't suitable for polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or PTFE. These low-energy surfaces require specific formulations. See the section on difficult surfaces later in this guide.
Natural rubber adhesive
Natural rubber adhesives stand out for their instant tack: adhesion on first contact is far greater than acrylics. This makes them especially useful when the label must bond quickly without sustained pressure, or when the surface has moderate roughness or surface impurities.
When it's used
- Short-duration applications or for a single process step (e.g., warehouse goods-in labels).
- Rough surfaces or relatively low surface energy where the high tack compensates.
- Corrugated or smooth cardboard, untreated.
- Room-temperature environments with no significant variation.
Key limitation: Lower resistance to UV and organic solvents compared with acrylic. Not recommended for permanent labelling in chemical environments or prolonged outdoor exposure.
Hot-melt adhesive
Hot-melt adhesives are thermoplastic: they're applied molten when the laminate is manufactured and, once solidified, act as pressure-sensitive adhesives, with very high tack and instant adhesion. They're the dominant adhesive on high-speed labelling lines, where the contact time between label and surface is minimal and there's no room for sustained pressure.
When it's used
Used mainly in food, beverages, hygiene and mass consumer goods — sectors where packaging lines run at high speed and there's no room for curing time. It's also common in roll labelling (automatic dispensing) and in automatic applicators on plastic, glass or cardboard packaging.
Something to bear in mind: Hot-melt doesn't tolerate solvents well, nor temperatures above +70 °C continuously. For applications involving solvent cleaning or high-temperature process steps, acrylic is preferable.
Cryogenic adhesive
Cryogenic adhesives are special formulations designed to keep their bond under extremely low temperature conditions, where any conventional adhesive loses flexibility and comes away. They're needed for cold-chain traceability and laboratory applications.
When it's needed
- Labels applied to or identifying frozen or deep-frozen products (−18 °C and below).
- Sample identification in industrial freezer rooms.
- Laboratory applications: vials, cryotubes, liquid nitrogen containers (−196 °C).
- Labels that must withstand repeated freeze-thaw cycles without coming away.
Formulation detail: Deep cryogenic-range versions (down to −196 °C) are usually used with specific polyester or polypropylene face materials. The combination of adhesive and face material is critical; changing the adhesive alone isn't enough.
High-temperature adhesive
This isn't the standard acrylic adhesive pushed to its limit: it's a specific formulation with silicone or epoxy resins designed to withstand continuous heat or thermal peaks well beyond what any conventional adhesive tolerates. It requires compatible face materials —typically aluminium or polyimide (Kapton)— to keep the whole construction intact.
When it's used
- Industrial ovens: identification labels on trays, parts or racks entering heat chambers.
- Autoclaves: dry-heat or high-pressure steam sterilisation.
- Automotive paint process: chassis identification labels pass through paint booths and curing ovens at temperatures of 150-200 °C.
- Any process where the label can't be removed before the thermal cycle.
For more on labels that withstand high temperatures, see our high-temperature labels page.
Low surface-energy surfaces: PE, PP, PTFE
Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and PTFE (Teflon) surfaces are known for being difficult to bond to. Their low surface energy prevents most adhesives from forming a sufficient bond. Standard acrylic adhesive usually fails: the label comes away within hours or a few days.
Available solutions
- Special PE/PP adhesives: acrylic formulations with high initial adhesion, designed to "wet" the low-energy surface better and increase effective contact area.
- Surface primers (activators): a chemical agent applied to the surface before the label is placed, to locally raise surface energy and improve adhesive anchoring.
- High-tack rubber formulations: the rubber's instant tack can partly compensate for the substrate's low energy, though with limited durability over time.
Recommendation: If the application involves PE, PP or PTFE and durable adhesion is required, contact our technical department. The right combination of adhesive, face material and surface pre-treatment is decisive and depends on the part's geometry, the temperature of use and the chemical environment.
Summary table: adhesive comparison
The following table sets out the main parameters of each adhesive type to make it easy to compare options quickly.
| Adhesive | Min. app. temp. | Continuous use temp. | Chemical resistance | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent acrylic | +10 °C | −30 to +150 °C | High | General industry |
| Natural rubber | +5 °C | −10 to +60 °C | Medium | Logistics, cardboard |
| Hot-melt | Variable | −20 to +70 °C | Medium | Automatic lines |
| Cryogenic | −10 °C or lower | down to −196 °C | High | Cold chain |
| High temperature | Ambient | up to +250 °C | High | Automotive, ovens |