Many companies are currently considering how to make their packaging more sustainable, and adhesives are increasingly coming into focus. At Kiilto, the use of bio-based and renewable raw materials in paper and packaging adhesives is not a new trend, but the foundation of all product development. With one in ten Kiilto employees working in R&D, adhesive development starts at the raw material level and continues through to the customer’s production line.
Raw material choices define packaging adhesives
“We want to develop adhesive raw materials ourselves, instead of relying solely on what is available on the market. Our in-house polymerisation expertise and production in Lempäälä, Finland, give us the flexibility to develop our own customised solutions – either independently or in close cooperation with raw material suppliers,” says Maija Kulla-Pelonen, R&D Manager at Kiilto.
The commitment to offering more sustainable solutions began to take shape five years ago, when Kiilto decided to switch its EVA-based paper and packaging adhesives to bio-based raw materials.
“All customers who had previously purchased EVA-based dispersion adhesives received a bio-based version,” Kulla-Pelonen explains.
This led to the creation of the Kiilto Pro Pack Eco product range in collaboration with global raw material supplier Wacker. The mass balance approach makes the transition easy for customers: the technical properties of the adhesive remain unchanged despite the use of bio-based raw materials, and the bio-based content can be increased without modifications to the production line.
In practice, this has allowed customers such as DS Smith to adopt Kiilto Pro Pack Eco adhesives in their corrugated board packaging solutions without disrupting production.
Kiilto is a pioneer in bio-based adhesives
The use of renewable raw materials is not limited to dispersion adhesives. Kiilto began developing the world’s first fully biodegradable hot melt adhesive, Kiilto Biomelt, in the early 2000s – at a time when the potential of renewable raw materials received far less attention than it does today.
The latest launch is the Kiiltomelt EVO R 20 hot melt adhesive, which is 97% bio-based. Designed for industrial packaging lines, it is a sealing adhesive that performs reliably even in demanding cold chain conditions. The bio-based content does not compromise performance; the product performs just as well as – and in some cases better than – conventional hot melt adhesives.
The introduction of new materials requires process expertise to maintain production reliability.
“We always ensure controlled implementation. Our experts conduct on-site trials and verify that the adhesive performs as expected on the customer’s production line. We want to offer our customers an easy and hassle-free way to increase their bio-based content,” Kulla-Pelonen emphasises.
”In the years ahead, the role of side streams and renewable materials will continue to grow. Our task is to ensure that these solutions scale effectively and perform reliably in demanding industrial applications”
From side streams to new raw materials: hemicellulose in packaging adhesives
At Kiilto, bio-based development is not a one-off initiative but an ongoing process. The next step is to utilise forest industry side streams, such as hemicellulose and lignin, as raw materials for adhesives. This work is being advanced through research collaboration, including the Dust to Value (D2V) project led by Åbo Akademi University.
“We have achieved very promising results from using hemicellulose in adhesives. We’re now seeking a partner with whom we can conduct industrial trials. Participating in a project like this gives the customer an opportunity to be involved in developing next-generation solutions,” says Kulla-Pelonen.
In addition to utilising wood-based side streams, Kiilto is further developing starch-based adhesives. Potato starch has been used in adhesives for decades due to its affordability, but its broader potential is now being explored more extensively.
Renewable raw materials are shaping industrial adhesives
Through in-house polymerisation expertise, research collaboration and industrial trials conducted together with customers, Kiilto plays an active role in shaping how raw materials in the packaging industry evolve.
“In the years ahead, the role of side streams and renewable materials will continue to grow. Our task is to ensure that these solutions scale effectively and perform reliably in demanding industrial applications,” Kulla-Pelonen says. For packaging manufacturers, this means the opportunity to increase the bio-based content of their products and reduce their carbon footprint without risking production reliability.