In recent years, the global market demand for medical dressings will continue to grow due to the increasingly prominent problem of the aging of the global population, the influence of many factors such as the sedentary lifestyle brought about by the fast-paced urban life, and the increasing incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

According to BMI Research, the global market for medical dressings grew from $11.101 billion to $12.158 billion from 2014 to 2018. The average annual growth rate is 5-6%. The global market for medical dressings is expected to reach $19 billion by 2022, according to BMI Research.

01 Types of adhesives for medical dressing

The key component of a wound dressing is the adhesive layer, which adheres the dressing to the skin. Adhesive layers need to provide a variety of functions, including adhesion, air permeability, moisture permeability, moisture and chemical resistance, non-irritating adhesion to the skin, repositioning and non-damage removal.

Although hydrogels can be used for skin bonding, the coating is thicker and more expensive. Pressure-sensitive adhesives remain sticky at room temperature and adhere to pressure, so most wound dressings today use pressure-sensitive adhesives.

Pressure sensitive adhesives fall into three main categories: synthetic rubber adhesives, acrylic adhesives and silicone adhesives. The performance differences are shown in the following table:

Medical hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive has been widely used in the field of medical tape and medical tape because of its unique properties such as good coatability, low cost, hypoallergenic and stability.

Medical hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive product application classification

Wound application -- infusion paste, band-aid, bottle mouth paste, self-adhesive dressing;

Composite materials -- operating clothes, protective clothing, masks, shoe covers, surgical sheets, etc.

Medical patch - plaster patch, eye patch, belly patch, car sickness patch, fixed patch;

Medical tape - white cotton tape, medical adhesive paste, PE transparent tape, sports tape.

Examples of application of medical hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive

Wound dressing

It is generally composed of medical non-woven cloth or medical PE/PU film coated with adhesive surface and absorbent pad and isolation film, which is used for surgical wound or dressing fixation. Common infusion paste, Band-aid, dressing paste and so on.

Substrate: spunlaced non-woven fabric, hot rolled non-woven fabric, elastic fabric, PE film, PU film

Coating mode: transfer coating

Technical points: initial adhesion, holding adhesion, peeling, weather resistance, temperature resistance, residual, overflow, through adhesive

Glue-coated gram weight: infusion stick 35-50gsm; Band-aid 40-80gsm; Other dressings stick 40-60gsm.

Composite material

Medical composite materials are mainly used to block viruses and germs, so that medical staff in the diagnosis and treatment, nursing process is not infected by the virus carried by the patient and a variety of ways.

Most of them are disposable consumables, commonly including operating gowns, isolation gowns, protective masks, visiting gowns, nurses' caps, surgical caps, doctors' caps, maternity caps, first-aid kits, and all kinds of radiation-proof clothing.

Substrate: non-woven fabric, PE PET

Coating method: spraying

Technical points: initial viscosity, adhesion, stripping, odor, air permeability, anti hydrostatic pressure, anti blood penetration.

Gluing gram weight: 3-7gsm.

Medical patch

It is generally composed of anti-stick layer, backing layer and polymer gel layer. Common plaster patch, eye patch, child belly agent patch, car sickness patch and so on.

Backing layer: spiny cloth, hot rail cloth, PE film

Polymer gel layer: Hydrophilic polymer gel or medical pressure sensitive adhesive is the skeleton and the natural extract components wrapped in it

Anti-stick layer: release paper

Coating mode: transfer coating

Technical points: initial sticking, sticking, peeling, irritability

Glue-coated gram weight: plaster paste 50-100gsm; Blank paste: 40-50 gsm;

Medical tape

Generally used for dressing, catheter and other binding and fixing, common white cotton tape, sports bandage, silk tape, PE perforated film tape, cotton paper tape, etc.

Substrate: white cotton cloth, non-woven fabric, PE punching film, tissue paper, artificial silk, etc

Coating mode: direct coating, transfer coating

Key technical points: initial adhesion, adhesion holding, peeling, weather resistance, grinding, unwinding force, etc.

Glue-coated gram weight: PE tape 25-45 gsm; Cotton paper tape 30-45gsm; White cotton tape 80-120gsm; Sports Bandage with Silk Thick Tape 50-70gsm;

With the further improvement of medical quality and safety in medical reform, the medical hot melt adhesive market will continue to expand. As domestic enterprises continue to improve their own technology, process and research and development capabilities and increase R&D investment, the domestic medical hot melt adhesive industry is expected to gradually transfer to the high-end link of the value chain, and achieve import substitution in the high-end medical hot melt adhesive market.