Adhesive composition

Claim 1

An adhesive composition consisting essentially of a styrene-isoprene block copolymer, an isoprene-piperylene copolymer, a zinc salt of rosin having a zinc content of between about four and about nine percent and a melting point of between about 80° to about 190° C. and a microcrystalline wax, wherein the weight ratio of the zinc salt of rosin to the isoprene-piperylene copolymer is in the range of about 0.55:1 to about 50:1, wherein the components are present in the following ranges: Component Weight Per Cent ______________________________________ Styrene-Isoprene Block Copolymer 15-30 Mixture of Isoprene-Piperylene - Copolymer and Zinc Salt of Rosin 15-60 Microcrystalline Wax 70-10, ______________________________________ wherein the styrene-isoprene block copolymer has the following general configuration: A -- B -- A, wherein A is a styrene polymer block having an average molecular weight of about 2,000 to about 100,000 and B is an isoprene polymer block having an average molecular weight of about 25,000 to about 1,000,000, wherein the total of the terminal blocks A amount to about eight to about 50 weight percent of the block copolymer, with the difference in glass transition temperature between an end block A and a center block B being greater than about 100° C.