HOT MELT PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE HAVING LOW VOC CHARACTERISTICS

The present disclosure relates to a process of manufacturing a pressure sensitive adhesive, comprising the steps of:a) providing a hot melt mixing apparatus;b) providing a hot melt processable pressure sensitive adhesive composition contained within a packaging material and forming a packaged pressure sensitive adhesive composition;c) providing a thermal crosslinking system;d) mixing the hot melt processable pressure sensitive adhesive composition and the thermal crosslinking system in the hot melt mixing apparatus thereby forming a hot melt blend, wherein the packaging material is melted and mixable with the hot melt blend;e) removing the hot melt blend from the hot melt mixing apparatus; andf) optionally, thermally crosslinking the hot melt blend.In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a pressure sensitive adhesive comprising a hot melt processable pressure sensitive adhesive composition and a thermal crosslinking system as described above, and wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive has a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) value of less than 1500 ppm, less than 1200 ppm, less than 1000 ppm, less than 800 ppm, less than 600 ppm, less than 500 ppm, less than 400 ppm, or even less than 300 ppm, when measured by thermal desorption analysis according to test method VDA278.