Arcfoil LT 120 Low Sealing-Initiation-Temperature Lacquer
A heat-seal lacquer that reaches its sealing initiation temperature at a lower jaw setting and a shorter dwell than the standard HS grades. It seals to polyolefin and styrenic containers and is specified for heat-sensitive fills, thin-wall containers and fast filling lines.
Grade Arcfoil LT 120 | Range Aluminium Foil and Lidding Lacquers | Technology Solvent-borne low sealing-initiation-temperature heat-seal lacquer, thermoplastic copolymer binder
Technical Data Sheet
Arcfoil LT 120
Issue 2026.09
1. Product description
A heat-seal lacquer that reaches its sealing initiation temperature at a lower jaw setting and a shorter dwell than the standard HS grades. It is specified for heat-sensitive fills, for thin-wall containers that distort or scorch under a hot jaw, and for fast filling lines where dwell time, not temperature, is the constraint. It seals to polyolefin and styrenic containers and requires a line trial to fix the jaw window.
2. Features
- Lower sealing initiation temperature than the Arcfoil HS grades
- Seals at shorter dwell for lines where dwell time is the constraint
- Lower jaw setting for thin-wall containers that distort or scorch under a hot jaw
- Seals to polyolefin and styrenic containers; jaw window fixed by line trial
3. Recommended uses
Lids for heat-sensitive fills and thin-wall polyolefin or polystyrene containers on high-speed rotary cup fillers and tray sealers, and for foil laminates where the laminating adhesive limits the seal temperature.
Substrates. Aluminium foil 20 to 40 micron; foil and paper laminate; foil and polymer film laminate where the laminating adhesive limits the seal temperature.
4. Typical properties
| Property | Typical value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Solvent-borne low sealing-initiation-temperature heat-seal lacquer, thermoplastic copolymer binder | Formulation |
| Appearance | Clear to slightly hazy liquid | visual |
| Carrier | Organic solvent blend | formulation |
| Non-volatile content | 20 to 30 per cent by weight | ISO 3251 |
| Supply viscosity, ISO flow cup 4 mm at 23 degrees Celsius | 20 to 40 s | ISO 2431 |
| Dry coat weight applied | 3 to 6 g/m2 | in-house, gravimetric |
| Peak metal temperature in the cure oven | 150 to 170 degrees Celsius | in-house, travelling thermocouple on the web |
| Sealing initiation temperature | 90 to 110 degrees Celsius, taken as the lowest jaw temperature at which the seal reaches the threshold strength agreed for the pack | seals made to ASTM F2029, strength measured to ASTM F88 |
| Seal strength, web to web | 6 to 12 N per 15 mm, window agreed per pack | ASTM F88 |
| Adhesion of the cured lacquer | No removal on tape pull or after a bend over a mandrel | in-house tape pull and mandrel bend on thin lidding gauges |
Typical values, not a specification. Values for each batch are given on its Certificate of Analysis.
5. Application
| Parameter | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Application method | Roll coated on a web coating line, oven cured at a moderate peak metal temperature |
| Substrate and surface preparation | Aluminium foil 20 to 40 micron, foil and paper laminate or foil and polymer film laminate. Clean, dry, fully annealed foil; confirm the residual rolling oil level on incoming coils and prime with Arcfoil PR 110 where oil level, temper or a laminate face makes direct adhesion unreliable |
| Dilution | Supplied ready for use; if reduction is needed, use only the thinner specified by Arctic for the grade and recheck supply viscosity and solids |
| Applied dry coat weight | 3 to 6 g/m2, checked gravimetrically across the full web width |
| Cure | Peak metal temperature 150 to 170 degrees Celsius, measured with a travelling thermocouple on the web; on foil and polymer film laminate, confirm that the laminate and its adhesive tolerate this peak metal temperature before coating; wind the reel cool to avoid blocking |
| Sealing conditions | Jaw 140 to 170 degrees Celsius, 0.2 to 0.4 MPa, dwell 0.3 to 0.8 s, fixed by a line trial on the customer's filler |
| Next step | Seal to polyolefin or polystyrene containers; record seal strength across the temperature and dwell matrix before release |
Process. Roll coated on a web coating line and oven cured at a moderate peak metal temperature; sealed on high-speed rotary cup fillers and tray sealers.
6. Storage and handling
Store in the original containers, kept closed, in a cool, dry, covered area out of direct sunlight and within the temperature range given on the label; hold coated reels away from heat sources before converting. Shelf life is stated on the label and on the Certificate of Analysis. Handle and use the product in line with its Safety Data Sheet.
7. Safety and regulatory information
Read the Safety Data Sheet before use. Safety Data Sheets and regulatory declarations are issued by our technical centre against the product and batch supplied, so they are sent on request rather than published. Request a Safety Data Sheet or declaration.
This Technical Data Sheet is published for on-screen reference. The information is given in good faith from laboratory and application experience and describes typical values; it is not a specification and does not replace a trial on your own substrate and line. Arctic Materials may revise this sheet without notice. Issue 2026.09.
Technical Data Sheets on this site are for on-screen viewing. For a controlled copy, write to tech@arcticmaterials.com.
Other grades in this range
Need a Safety Data Sheet, a regulatory declaration or a grade specified to your line? Contact our technical centre.