May 28, 2025
On May 7, Kraton Corporation announced its plans to close its Dover, Ohio, manufacturing location. Kraton Corporation is a chemical manufacturer that produces specialty polymer and bio-based chemicals. They focus largely on creating sustainable products derived from pine chemicals and have various product lines related to adhesives, coatings, fuel additives, inks, lubricants, and more.
The Kraton Corporation Dover, Ohio, plant is largely responsible for the company's dimer and polyamide adhesive product lines. With the closure of the Kraton Dover plant, the company has decided to shift its business ventures away from these product lines.
In a press release, Minco van Breevoort, President of Kraton Pine Chemicals, noted that the Kraton Dover plant shut down was a result of realigning and refocusing their business. "Our strategy is clear: focus where we have the greatest impact and drive the most value," He continued, "By streamlining operations, we can direct investments toward core Pine Chemical assets and innovation. Our Crude Tall Oil refinery rates will not be impacted by this decision. We will have greater ability to support our customers with Tall Oil Fatty Acid supply."
While Kraton's announcement may not raise alarm bells for every business, some companies should be concerned.
Kraton Polyamides Discontinued
With the shutdown of the Kraton Dover plant also comes the discontinuation of the Kraton UNI-REZ™ product line. UNI-REZ products are non-reactive polyamide resins. Polyamide hot melts are known for their great tensile strength, high thermal resistance, and good chemical resistance compared to many other types of hot melt adhesives. They can be used on various substrates, but they can also sometimes be hard to find.
In the past, there have been raw material shortages, supply chain issues, and long lead times related to polyamide adhesives. The discontinuation of Kraton's polyamide product line will only exacerbate this problem as the demand for polyamide waxes in hot melts has increased by 25% in North America over the last few years.1 Companies that rely on the Kraton UNI-REZ product line will need to look for other viable solutions.
Finding An Alternative Polyamide Adhesive
According to one report, the Kraton shutdown is not planned until early July, but customers of the discontinued UNI-REZ products should not wait until then to find another adhesive. Fortunately, we carry a collection of UNI-REZ adhesive alternatives that are similar in both their chemistry and properties to the discontinued Kraton UNI-REZ products. In some cases, these products may even be less expensive and lead to long-term cost savings.
Below is a list of some of the discontinued UNI-REZ polyamide adhesives from the Kraton Dover shutdown as well as some potential adhesive alternatives.
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UNI-REZ 2631 - Infinity Bond PA 2500
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UNI-REZ 2632 - Infinity Bond PA 2500
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UNI-REZ 2624 - Infinity Bond PA 2300
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UNI-REZ 2635 - Infinity Bond PA 2400
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UNI-REZ 2291 - Infinity Bond PA 2700
Need More Assistance?
If you are ready to order one of these UNI-REZ alternatives to test on your application, you can do so through our website. We understand that every application is different, so if you have questions, just contact us. Our team is happy to answer your questions and provide you guidance on choosing a new product.
Sources:
1. Global Growth Insight (2025). Polyamide Wax Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Tpes (Granules, Powder, Micro-Powder), By Applications Covered (Hot Melt Adhesive, Rubber, Bitumen Modification, Thermal Road Marketing), Regional Insights and Forecase to 2033
Hotmelt.com is not affiliated with the UNI-REZ® brand. UNI-REZ® is a registered trademark of the Kraton® Corporation.
