Arcresist WR
A water-resistant coating that keeps print from blushing, softening or rubbing away when the pack is wet, through condensation in chilled distribution, wet hands at retail, rain in transit or washdown in the filling hall. It gives wet rub resistance on the printed surface rather than water repellency alone.
Grade Arcresist WR | Range Speciality Coatings for Packaging | Technology Water-resistant clear coating, hydrophobic film-forming binder, solvent-borne or water-based
Technical Data Sheet
Arcresist WR
Issue 2026.09
1. Product description
A water-resistant coating that keeps print from blushing, softening or rubbing away when the pack is wet, through condensation in chilled distribution, wet hands at retail, rain in transit or washdown in the filling hall. It gives wet rub resistance on the printed surface rather than water repellency alone.
2. Features
- Wet rub resistance through repeated wet and dry cycles
- Resists blushing and softening of the printed face
- On paper and board, slows surface wetting from a brief spill
- Surface protection only; not a moisture barrier through the structure
3. Recommended uses
Printed packs in chilled distribution, packs handled wet at retail, transit packs exposed to rain and packs washed down in the filling hall.
4. Typical properties
| Property | Typical value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Water-resistant clear coating, hydrophobic film-forming binder, solvent-borne or water-based | Formulation |
| Appearance | Clear to slightly hazy liquid, drying to a clear film | visual |
| Carrier | Organic solvent blend or water, stated for the grade supplied and matched to the ink system | formulation |
| Non-volatile content | 25 to 45 per cent by weight | ISO 3251 |
| Supply viscosity, ISO flow cup 4 mm at 23 degrees Celsius | 30 to 60 s as supplied | ISO 2431 |
| Density at 23 degrees Celsius | 0.90 to 1.10 g/cm3, depending on carrier | ISO 2811-1 |
| Wet rub resistance | Stroke count and load agreed per pack, on conditioned samples | customer or supplier protocol, Sutherland rub tester as in ASTM D5264 with a wetted receptor |
| Surface water absorption on paper and board | Reduced against the uncoated sheet; target agreed per base sheet | ISO 535 |
| Adhesion over ink on film | No coating or ink removed in the tape test on the printed film | ASTM F2252 |
Typical values, not a specification. Values for each batch are given on its Certificate of Analysis.
5. Application
| Parameter | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Application method | Flexo or gravure coating station, or a separate coater |
| Surface preparation | Ink fully dried before coating. On polyolefin film, check wetting tension on the reel to be coated with the test solutions of ASTM D2578. Trial over the printed areas, not on the unprinted edge of the web |
| Dilution | Supplied at or near application strength; reduce only with the diluent specified by Arctic for the grade, check flow time to ISO 2431 at fixed intervals recorded against temperature, and confirm any correction against a measured coat weight |
| Applied dry coat weight | 1.5 to 4.0 g/m2 |
| Drying | Dryer air typically 50 to 80 degrees Celsius, limited by the heat tolerance of the substrate, set so the web leaves dry, free of retained solvent and cool at the rewind; water-based grades need more drying energy and dwell than solvent-borne grades at the same coat weight |
| Limits | Does not stop absorption through cut edges or the loss of board stiffness from bulk moisture uptake; that is the job of the film, the laminate or a barrier layer |
6. Storage and handling
Store in the original containers, kept closed, in a cool, dry, covered area away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, within the temperature range given on the label, and protect water-based grades from frost. 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.