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Hydrocarbon Resin Introduction
Hydrocarbon Resins are made from petroleum based feedstocks either aliphatic (C5), aromatic (C9), DCPD (dicyclopentadiene), or mixtures of these. There are three basic categories of hydrocarbon tackifier resins, some with several sub-categories.

C5 Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Resins are so named because they are generally polymers of monomers with five carbons. Basic C5 aliphatic resins have Gardner colors between 1.5 and 6 (from light yellow to light brown) and are mostly used to tackify aliphatic polymers, especially natural rubber, EVA, SIS and APO.

Hydrogenated C5 Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Resins are basic C5 hydrocarbon tackifers that have been hydrogenated to improve their color and thermal stability.

C9 Aromatic Hydrocarbon Resins are so named because they are generally polymers of nine-carbon aromatic monomers. They are based on aromatic feedstocks that undergo very little refining prior to the polymerization of the resin. They are usually dark in color within typical Gardner color of 6 to 10 (dark yellow to dark brown). They are used mainly in EVA-based adhesives, contact adhesive for footwear, printing inks, sealants, and paints. C9 liquid resins are especially useful in flooring adhesives. As a class, C9 resins have a distinctive aromatic odor. There are two sub-categories of C9 aromatic tackifiers, each with distinctive properties.

Pure Monomer C9 Aromatic Hydrocarbon Resins are based on aromatic feedstocks that have been highly purified prior to polymerization. These are usually water-white with excellent stability. The lower softening point (< 100°C) types are mainly used in EVA for book binding adhesives and to improve creep resistance in HMA for diapers. The higher softening point pure monomer resin types are useful as end-block re-enforcers (enhance cohesive strength) in styrenic block copolymers, SIS, SBS, and SEBS.

Hydrogenated C9 Aromatic Hydrocarbon Resins are produced through the controlled hydrogenation of basic or pure monomer aromatic resins. A hydrogenated hydrocarbon tackifer resin is the best choice when color and stability are overriding concerns. Usually these resins are colorless (water-white) and are very stable to heat, weathering, and oxidation. Most are hypo-allergenic, with no skin-sensitization properties and are ideally suited for adhesives used in the medical industry where these considerations are critical.

C5/C9 Aliphatic/Aromatic Copolymerization Hydrocarbon Resins are C5 tackifiers co-polymerized with aromatic monomers.They are excellent tackifiers for use in EVA, SBS, and natural rubber polymers.They can also be used in SIS-based HMPSA to provide low melt viscosities with an optimum balance between cohesion and adhesion. Sometimes the slightly aromatic modified C5 resins are used in APO to provide limited compatibility resulting in shorter open times. Darker colored, lower cost types are often used in packaging HMA based on EVA.These resins are mostly C9-based co-polymerized with C5 aliphatic monomers.