Choosing the right adhesive is critical to the quality of your corrugated boards and cartons. The adhesion between the medium and liners must be robust enough to protect the contents and preserve the integrity of the box throughout its usable life. Starch glue is one of the most suitable adhesives for your corrugation needs . It comes from natural starch derived from roots, tubers, and seeds of plants such as maize, wheat, and rice. The following advantages make it a suitable adhesive for corrugation.
Stiffness and compression strength
The penetration of the adhesive into the fiber of the paper contributes significantly to the stiffness of the board. As opposed to synthetics which merely create a soft film on the board, starch glue adequately penetrates the board reinforcing its stiffness, improving the compression strength of the board or carton. Synthetic adhesives have little or no impact on the stiffness and compression strength of corrugated boards.
High bonding strength
A suitable adhesive should have at least 25% of solid for maximum bonding and to prevent delamination. Starch-based glues have a higher solid content of at least 25% compared to synthetic ones. Synthetics that achieve this level of solid-content are expensive and rarely used in industries. It gives them greater bonding strength that lengthens the usable life of the corrugated board.
Low production cost
Starch glue is substantially cheaper than synthetic adhesive. The reason for this is mostly because the primary raw material is natural starch which is inexpensive and readily available. The adhesive comes in powder form, and water used to make a liquid paste. Since users only pay for the powder content, this makes the product substantially cheaper. Synthetic adhesives come in liquid form; therefore, one has to pay for both the liquid and solid content.
Biodegradable and eco-friendly
Starch-based adhesives are made from natural starch making them biodegradable with little or no residue. They are mostly referred to as eco-glues due to their favorability to the environment. They have become a preferred adhesive for corrugated boards even by environmental conservation bodies.