Bostik, a leading global innovator in adhesives for industrial, construction and consumer markets, has once again broken new ground in the disposable hygiene market.

The firm announced the forthcoming launch of Brilliance™, a major technological leap forward in the use of polyolefins in high-stress hot melt adhesive applications. The new adhesive is designed to hold elastic strands in place in diapers and adult incontinence articles. The bonding of elastic strands in these products is critical to the function and fit of the disposable product. In the past, adhesives based on polyolefin chemistry were limited to low stress applications due to performance and processing restrictions. This breakthrough not only offers best in class performance, it also removes trade-offs while expanding benefits in certain applications over traditional technology.

"Brilliance™ marks a huge technical accomplishment and represents a prime example of how we leverage our material science capabilities, not only in continual improvements with existing materials, but in developing new materials that meet customer and consumer needs," said Jeffrey Merkt, Bostik Senior Vice President - Global Nonwovens.

"While olefins are not new and have been the object of rapidly developing technology, that focus has not necessarily been on adhesives," Merkt said. "At Bostik we didn't wait for new materials to be developed. Instead, we cast a wide net with our R&D teams to find and develop new materials. This proactive approach has yielded some remarkable results, such as Brilliance™, and has contributed to our global reputation as an innovator." Final testing and trials are taking place now, with Brilliance™ ready for shipment in October.