Adhesive remover is a substance intended to break down and remove glue and its remnants from surfaces.

Description

Adhesive removers are intended to break down glue so that it can be removed from surfaces easily. Formulations may be designed to remove a broad range of adhesives or to address a specific bond. Many general purpose removers are intended to remove residue from adhesive tape.

Formulations

Adhesive removers are often based on organic solvents, which can dissolve or soften many adhesive polymers that do not dissolve in water. They may also contain a gelling agent, increasing

viscosity The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water. Viscosity quantifies the inte ...

so that the product sticks to the area to be treated rather than running off. Common solvents used include -

limonene Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring ...

, aliphatic

alkane In organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the science, scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms tha ...

s, and

acetone Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone), is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest and smallest ketone (). It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odour. Acetone is miscible wi ...

. Heptane is also used as an adhesive remover by

stamp collectors Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

. Since 1974, the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

has issued self-adhesive stamps that some collectors find difficult to separate from envelopes via the traditional method of soaking in water. Heptane-based products like Bestine, as well as

-based products, have become popular solvents for removing stamps more easily.

References

Adhesives Cleaning products {{Product-stub