ABSTRACT
In the past few decades the field of applications of pressure-sensitive products (PSPs) has become greatly enlarged: in particular, end-use tailored products have gained an important market segment. For such products, special recipes and technologies were developed. Some of them include a high level of empirical knowledge. Simultaneous advances in macromolecular science and polymer engineering enabled an explanation of the functional mechanisms of such products to be derived, and reasons for the special construction of several products were elaborated. This development of the theoretical basis of pressure-sensitive technology allowed the design of pressuresensitive raw materials and the use of less expensive formulations for improved pressure-sensitive products. For a better understanding of their function, design and formulation we first consider the construction, and the physical and chemical basis of PSPs.
