Flooring Adhesives
Ideal Marriage of Cohesion and Adhesion
WACKER has developed an innovative, low environmental impact binder: VINNAPAS®EAF 68 is the ideal solution for bonding of floor coverings – not only is it reliable but at the same time it dispenses entirely with the need for APEOs. The new dispersion thus permits the formulation of low-emission flooring adhesives.
Floor coverings expand with increasing temperature – caused, for example, by sunlight – and contract as the temperature drops. With the right balance of adhesion and cohesion in an adhesive, these dimensional changes can be counteracted. In this way, the floor covering retains its shape at different temperatures and doesn’t go wavy. The crucial requirement for thermal and volume stability is good cohesion, i.e. strong internal strength of the adhesive. This is ensured by the innovative formulation of the VINNAPAS®EAF 68 binder.
At a WACKER applications lab, Dr. Christine Wagner removes a test sample from the drying cabinet to check the adhesion of VINNAPAS® EAF 68.
At a WACKER applications lab, Dr. Christine Wagner removes a test sample from the drying cabinet to check the adhesion of VINNAPAS® EAF 68.
Innovative Alternative
Above all, it is the balance between cohesion and adhesion – due to their mutual influence – that makes this dispersion an innovative alternative to established products. On the one hand, if the adhesive force is too strong, cohesion is reduced, which can cause the adhesive layer to fail internally. On the other hand, a covering will not bond properly if the glue’s adhesive force is insufficient. Whether a covering bonds firmly and permanently to the substrate thus depends on the glue’s adhesive force, too. The glue’s adhesive properties must therefore be adjusted to optimally match the covering in question. Here too, WACKER’s innovative dispersion offers advantages: its high adhesive force makes it suitable for use in a wide range of PVC and linoleum flooring adhesives. Even with materials that are difficult to install, VINNAPAS®EAF 68 ensures a reliable bond between the substrate and the floor covering.
Another technical requirement for flooring adhesives is a practical open time. This is the length of time during which a covering can be installed following application of the adhesive to the substrate. VINNAPAS®EAF 68 performs well here, too. Plus, VINNAPAS®EAF 68 has uses other than in flooring adhesives; the polymer dispersion acts as an adhesion promoter, enabling it to be added to adhesives for paper and packaging, for example. Addition of just a small quantity of VINNAPAS®EAF 68 will produce a marked increase in adhesive force.
The Fascination of Chemistry – WACKER’s Audio Magazine
