Waterborne Adhesives and Sealants and Major Classes
Waterborne Adhesives Waterborne Adhesives are very popular and are conceived as an environmentally friendly and economically viable alternative to solvent-based adhesives. One of the major advantages of water-based adhesives is the absence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, water can be used to clean the excess adhesive off of mated parts and to clean the equipment. These adhesives are usually considered very environmentally friendly. For this class of adhesives, a wide variety of polymers are used (usually thermoplastics and/or elastomers), which are either dispersed or dissolved in the continuous aqueous phase. Water-based adhesives can be divided into major classes: Water-Based Solution Adhesives These Waterborne Adhesives harden and build strength when the water evaporates or when it is absorbed by the substrates. After the application of the adhesive, the substrates must be bonded while the adhesive is still wet. Waiting for some time to evaporate some of the...