The market share of water-based adhesives is becoming increasingly larger, as the development has shifted towards more and more sustainable solutions that support health and safety and reduce the impact on the environment. Water-based adhesives are an excellent alternative to solvent-based systems because they contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are lighter in weight, and generally require less product to form a long-lasting bond.
Compared with other solutions, water-based adhesive systems are environmentally friendly with a low VOC content and are also more user-friendly. Using water-based adhesives does not require as many safety measures as systems containing solvents, which can improve efficiency depending on the nature of the project. In addition, the finished products bonded with water-based adhesives are user-friendly: water-based adhesives do not pose significant health risks and do not release toxic or odorous fumes.
Types of Water-based Adhesive Systems
The trend in adhesives is strongly water-based. In Europe and the United States, water-based adhesives are the preferred systems, while in markets such as China, they only account for about 20% of the market. Water-based adhesive systems can be roughly divided into two categories: emulsion and dispersion adhesives, and solution adhesives.
Category 1: Aqueous Solution Adhesives
Solution adhesives are the most traditional form of water-based adhesive systems. They use water as the carrier substance and cure as the water evaporates. These water-based adhesives are made using natural and synthetic polymers that are soluble in water. The applications of these water-based adhesive systems include paper bonding and wettable adhesives, such as those found in envelopes, stamps, and labels.
Application methods: Roller, spraying, and beading
Bonding: Wet bonding
Examples: Starch/dextrin adhesives for paper applications such as bookbinding, and protein/casein adhesives for the food packaging industry.
Type 2: Water-based Emulsion and Dispersion Adhesives
Water-based adhesives are mainly used in food packaging lamination, but their share in other applications is also growing.
Water-based adhesive emulsion and dispersion systems are multiphase mixtures composed of a liquid or solid polymer phase dispersed in an aqueous phase. These water-based adhesives can be made using a variety of polymers, including PVA (polyvinyl acetate polymer), PVAC (polyvinyl acetate copolymer), and acrylics, as well as synthetic elastomers such as PUR (polyurethane).
Like other water-based adhesives, dispersion adhesives and emulsions can also be cleaned with water. However, once the water-based glue dries, it is no longer water-dispersible, and cleaning the residues may require the use of solvents and detergents. For more information about water-based adhesives, please contact us.
Construction methods: Spraying, brushing, roller coating, or beading.
Bonding: Wet bonding or dry bonding (water-based contact adhesives)
Examples: Polyvinyl acetate adhesives for bonding paper, wood, and cardboard, rubber latex water-based adhesives for fabrics and wood. Polyacrylate emulsions as water-based construction adhesives, lamination adhesives, pressure-sensitive water-based adhesives, and water-based polyurethane adhesives as dispersions and emulsions in the packaging and shoemaking industries.
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