3M Hot-melt glue sticks

Stanley Hot Glue Gun with Glue stick
Credit: Evan-Amos

Description

[3M, St Paul, MN] A brand name for a thermoplastic adhesive that is applied in the molten state and becomes solid as it quickly cools. Special devices, often sold as glue guns, hold the solid stick while provide heat at the tip to melt the outer section for application.The original 3M brand of Hot-melt Glue Sticks are composed of a copolymer of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA at 65%) blended with a hydrocarbon resin (terpene-phenol at 30%). Currently many varieties of hot-melt adhesives (HMAs) are available. The various polymer compositions provide varying melt temperatures, melt viscosities, set-time, surface flow, surface wettability and bond strength.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Hot melt glue sticks; Hot glue; Hot-melt adhesive (HMA)

Physical and Chemical Properties

EVA based HMAs tend to have a long shelf-life and do not loose volume on cooling. Also the HMAs usually do have any specific disposal requirements. Some HMA formulations are susceptible to oxidation and UV degradation.

Forms/Sizes

EVA based formulations include:

• 3M hot melt adhesive 3748
• 3M Scotch-Weld Hot melt adhesive 3762Q
• 3M Jet Melt Glue Sticks 3764
• 3M Scotch-Weld Low melt glue
• 3M Quadrack hot glue
• Maxistick 6300 Hot Melt Glue Stick
• Thermogrip® 6363
• Evo-Stik® 7702

Low temperature hot-melt glue (3M #3792 LMQ) is used for paperboard and foam

High temperature hot melt glue (3M #3748Q) is used for Coroplast.

Resources and Citations

• Wikipedia "Hot-melt adhesives" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-melt_adhesive
• Rachael Perkins Arenstein, Lisa Goldberg, and Eugenie Milroy, ‘Support and Rehousing for Collection Storage’ In ‘Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage’ Lisa Elkin and Christopher A. Norris (eds.), Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, New York. 2019. (List for Forms/Sizes)