From: jim.oliver@welcom.gen.nz (Jim Oliver)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Q: How to remove stic
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 18:02:37 GMT

CF>C++ Freak (klaas@uniface.nl) wrote:
CF>: Sometimes I use glass jars, usually used for food products which are finish
CF>: for other things and I want to remove the label sticker from it.

There's been a lot of mail on this subject, maybe a bit more
from a "label guy" now.

Labels can be made permanently sticky with many different types
of adhesive (cummon guys ; "glue" = adhesive)

However, the main types are : Hot Melt PSA (Pressure Sensitive
                              Adhesive) or HMPSA.
                            : Water based acrylic
                            : Water Based "copolymers"

The HMPSA is soluble in aromatic hydrocarbon (toluene, xylene
etc). The water based types are actually dispersions of polymer
in water and when dry are very water resistant, they dissolve or
soften quite well in most solvents from hexane to alcohol in
polarity but generally ketones are fastest since they act on the
long side chains and the backbone of the polymer.

So, for all labels I usually soak the bottle in methyl ethyl
ketone, and if it's real slow I assume HMPSA and try toluene.

The so called "citrus based solvents" also work quite well and
are more commonly available for those people who don't have ready
access to industrial solvents.

Jim Oliver <jim.oliver@welcom.gen.nz>