A Quick Guide to the Hot Melt Adhesive Family
Aug 19, 2021
3 min read
“What exactly is hot melt adhesive?”
This is one of the most common questions we hear from both new and long-time customers. Even many professionals who have been using adhesives for years may not fully recognize the wide variety of hot melt products available today.
In our previous article, we introduced the basic concept and composition of hot melt adhesives. This time, let’s explore the hot melt adhesive family in more detail — their different types, appearances, and applications. Recently, one of our new team members completed training and photographed some of our products, which inspired this quick visual guide.
1. Hot Melt Adhesive Blocks
Appearance: Block-shaped adhesive, usually yellow, white, or transparent (custom colors available).
Applications: Widely used in medical supplies, hook-and-loop fasteners, automotive interiors, electronics, PET transparent boxes, labeling, hygiene products, automated packaging, perfect binding, printing, industrial gifts, toys, footwear, and furniture manufacturing.
Application Methods: Compatible with spray, roller coating, scraper coating, and bead dispensing.
2. Hot Melt Adhesive Granules
Appearance: Granular form, with colors such as yellow, transparent, or milky white depending on the material (customizable if needed).
Applications: Suitable for general bonding and lamination between various materials. EVA granules are especially known for supporting high-speed automated equipment and meeting strict environmental standards.
Application Methods: Can be applied by spray, roller coating, or scraper coating.
3. Hot Melt Glue Sticks
Appearance: Stick-shaped, typically opaque white (strong bonding type); non-toxic, easy to operate, and resistant to charring during continuous use. Offers fast adhesion, high strength, aging resistance, good heat stability, and flexible glue films.
Applications: Perfect for plastic, fibers, fabrics, metal, furniture, lampshades, leather, handicrafts, electrical components, paper products, ceramics, and pearl cotton packaging. Mainly used with manual glue guns.
Application Methods: Primarily bead / dot dispensing.
4. PUR (Polyurethane Reactive) Hot Melt Adhesives
Appearance: Moisture-curing polyurethane hot melt, available in yellow, white, or transparent (customizable if needed).
Performance: Excellent bonding strength, weather resistance, chemical resistance, and solvent resistance, making it one of the most important adhesive categories today.
Applications: Used in furniture & building materials, automotive, textiles, electrical and mechanical industries, transportation, aerospace, and more. Suitable for bonding wood, leather, fabric, paper, ceramics, plastics, metals, glass, rubber, and inorganic materials.
Application Methods: Compatible with spray, roller coating, scraper coating, and bead dispensing.
5. Hot Melt Adhesive Films & Web Films
Appearance: Similar to plastic film, solid and non-sticky at room temperature, but develops adhesion on both sides when heated. Typically semi-transparent or amber; available with or without release liners for easy continuous or intermittent use.
Hot melt web film is a net-like adhesive film — a newer product type gaining popularity in recent years.
Applications: Widely used in apparel, footwear, edge banding, mounting & framing, and packaging. Effective for bonding fabrics, paper, polymers, and metals, even on uneven surfaces.
Application Methods: Simple process — heat and press with laminating or pressing equipment.
Why Hot Melt Adhesives Are Popular
Different hot melt products have unique performance and processing requirements, making it crucial to select the right type for each application. Compared to traditional adhesives, hot melt adhesives are:
Solvent-free and non-toxic
Environmentally friendly (low VOC, REACH compliant)
Fast-curing and efficient for automated production
Customizable in form, color, and performance
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