Industrial sealants are used in the paint industry, for example, to seal metal buckets, but they usually contain plasticisers that are harmful to health. Packaging manufacturer Emballator has now switched to a phthalate-free sealant from Henkel Adhesive Technologies - thus reducing the risk for users, staff and the environment.
The Emballator Group manufactures metal buckets, cans and lids in sizes ranging from 125 millilitres to 25 litres, which are primarily used in the paint and construction industries as well as in the food and chemical sectors. In order to guarantee the integrity of the packaging under various conditions, certain requirements must be met. In particular Hermetic sealing plays a central role, as it fulfils several important functions: It protects against microorganisms, prevents the contents from escaping and liquids or vapours from penetrating or escaping, and maintains the desired vacuum or pressure inside.
Industrial sealants are used to seal the seam channels of the double and triple seams. Emballator uses the following for this purpose Darex products from Henkel Adhesive Technologies, including the PVC compound Darex COV 53 for closing buckets. In this process, the lid is punched out of a coil or a pre-pressed sheet in an automated process. The sealant is then applied to the lid using a so-called liner. It must then be cured in an oven to achieve its final strength and fully activate the sealing function.
„The process ensures that the packaging fulfils the strict requirements of our various target industries.“
Jim Petersson, Product developer at Emballator
In addition to COV 53, the company also uses other solutions from Henkel Sonderhoff's polyurethane-based portfolio that are halogen-free. This qualifies them for use in products that fulfil the Nordic Swan Ecolabel - also known as the Nordic Ecolabel.
Phthalate-free into the future
In an important step towards promoting sustainability and health & safety, Emballator last year the PVC compound COV 53 replaced by COV 73. COV 73 has been specially developed for use with nozzles and is formulated for use as a seal in the lids of buckets.
The reason for the change: Traditionally, phthalates have been used as plasticisers in the formulation of sealants. These chemical compounds can damage the human body and lead to infertility, for example. The phthalate-free formulation of COV 73 improves health and safety conditions for users and production staff and at the same time eliminates the risk of phthalates being released into the environment.
Source: Henkel Adhesive Technologies
packaging journal 1/2025
This article was published in packaging journal 1/2025 (February).
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