Kuraray presents MOWITAL® adhesive films made of PVB, completely transparent and laminable up to 160°C

Kuraray, a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Japan, offers transparent polyvinyl butyral (PVB) adhesive films for a wide range of industrial applications. Under the MOWITAL® brand, the company markets both PVB resins and films. MOWITAL® thin adhesive films are available in three thicknesses—50, 100, and 250 µm—and are distinguished by their complete transparency, strong adhesion, and high versatility. They can be processed under pressure at temperatures up to 160°C and then thermally separated for easy recycling.

MOWITAL® films are ideal for lamination with a wide variety of materials: glass, metals, wood, ceramics, polymer textiles, polyurethane foams and many other substrates.

At K 2025 in Düsseldorf (October 08–15, 2025, Hall 7a, Stand D06), Kuraray will unveil its entire portfolio of MOWITAL® PVB adhesive films.

From safety equipment to lightweight components: ML® 50 µm film

In the manufacture of fiber composites, particularly for the production of safety equipment, the thinnest version of MOWITAL® film is already successfully used for various lamination applications. With a thickness of only 50 µm and a weight per unit area of ​​55 g/m², this adhesive film combines lightness and performance. In addition, it can be processed at particularly low temperatures, starting at 140 °C, which facilitates its integration into demanding industrial processes.

In the automotive industry, MOWITAL® 50 µm film is particularly suitable for bonding large surfaces, for example between plastics and metals for vehicle interiors. Its lightness also opens the way to innovative applications, such as the production of ultra-light spectacle frames, obtained by laminating several layers. Finally, new application scenarios are being investigated, including the assembly of transparent layers of displays, where the thin MOWITAL® film could offer decisive advantages in terms of performance and design.

Other applications of the thinnest version of MOWITAL® film include the production of lightweight components and prepregs for bonding – these semi-finished textile products with pre-impregnated fibers, widely used in the production processes of aeronautics and aerospace.

From laminated textiles to automotive components: MOWITAL® 100 µm film

With its thickness of 100 µm, the MOWITAL® film offers an ideal compromise between flexibility and robustness: slightly less flexible than the thinnest version, it is distinguished by increased robustness. This configuration makes it particularly suitable for bonding textiles, for example for laminating leather in the manufacture of handbags or shoes.

MOWITAL® 100 µm film is also widely used in the production of laminated composite safety equipment, where reliability and strength are essential. Furthermore, display manufacturers are already exploring its potential for laminating various transparent layers, opening the way to new applications in electronics.

Finally, the 100 µm film also presents a particularly promising application scenario in the field of automotive construction. Manufacturers and suppliers are keenly interested in the advantages that Kuraray's PVB film offers in the recycling of laminated components. Indeed, the structures obtained with the MOWITAL® adhesive film can, in principle, be separated again using thermal processes. After a simple cleaning with alcohol, the materials initially assembled with the 100 µm MOWITAL® film could thus be reused.

The weight of the 100 µm PVB film is 110 g/m².

Carbon and glass fiber laminates for large rotor blades: 250 µm MOWITAL® film

The 250 µm thick MOWITAL® film offers the highest strength and the best mechanical properties of the three available variants. At this thickness, it has a grammage of 275 g/m². Already proven in demanding applications, such as the bonding of multi-layer window concepts, the transparent 250 µm MOWITAL® film is also attracting considerable interest in the wind energy sector. Its use is intended to securely connect the individual glass and carbon fiber layers of large rotor blades using laminate layers made of MOWITAL® film. This solution ensures exceptional mechanical strength, while allowing processing at only 160 °C, even for the thickest version of the PVB film.

ISCC PLUS certification: sustainability thanks to certified raw materials
MOWITAL® adhesive films make a significant contribution to sustainability – not only through their applications in lightweight construction and wind energy, but also through the use of certified raw materials. The entire portfolio benefits from the voluntary ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), which attests to the use of sustainable, bio-based and/or circular resources.

The traceability of these materials is guaranteed by the mass balance principle, which takes into account both sustainable and fossil inputs throughout the value chain. Kuraray has obtained ISCC PLUS certification for several of its production sites in Europe and the USA, thus ensuring the possibility of manufacturing MOWITAL® products – including adhesive films – from sustainable and certified raw materials.

Adhesive power of MOWITAL® PVB film thanks to free OH groups
The strong adhesion capacity of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is based on its polarity, and more specifically on the presence of free hydroxyl (OH) groups, located both on the surface and in the core of the polymer. This mechanism gives MOWITAL® PVB adhesive films excellent compatibility with a wide variety of materials. Non-toxic and with a virtually unlimited shelf life, MOWITAL® films guarantee reliability and safety over time. Available in all thickness variants in roll form, they are ideal for roll-to-roll processes, thus facilitating their integration into the manufacture of industrial laminates.