APEO (Alkylphenol Ethoxylate) compounds are part of the REACH SVHC list and had a sunset date of 4^th January 2021. Historically, APEO has been used as a surfactant in many of the components used in the manufacture of pressure sensitive adhesives. This type of adhesive is used in many products including tapes, labels, and window graphics.

At Pafra Adhesives we have worked collaboratively with our raw material suppliers and our customers to both remove APEO from our formulations and to ensure a smooth transition to our range of APEO free adhesives.

During this process we found there were many obstacles to overcome, with the most common issues being the poor wet out of substrates and foaming during use. Our teams have worked hard to ensure that both the running performance, and the properties of the dry adhesive (such as peel, tack and shear resistance) have not been impacted in any way.

Whilst this has been challenging, we are confident that we now have a good understanding of the issues that can arise during the changeover to APEO free adhesives. This puts us in an excellent position to be able to assist customers whose current suppliers have offered an alternative that now compromises performance.

As such, you can be assured that Pafra Adhesive products are now APEO free. To talk to us about this range of products click here