Polymer Products for Adhesives

Visit our Polymer Emulsions website to view the full range of polymer products.

Innovation to Meet Changing Needs

For more than thirty years, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has been a major producer and supplier of polymer emulsions for the adhesives industry. Over the years, as industry needs have evolved, Air Products has been the leader in providing state-of-the-art technology to meet such changes.

A history of the company's contributions to adhesives includes many "firsts." For example, starting back in the 1960s, the company developed the first effective pressure emulsion, Airflex 400 emulsion, which provided a stronger, more economical base for laminating adhesives. The chemistry and technology of this product has since been expanded into a broad range of products to meet a host of specific adhesive applications. Then, in the 1970s, Air Products developed another breakthrough, with its ethylene-vinyl chlorides (EVCLs) which built flame retardance into adhesives. The 1980s saw the introduction of Airflex 300 and 320 emulsions, which, with advanced VAE chemistry, virtually redefined the use of vinyl acetate emulsions for packaging adhesives. Recent years have been marked by innovations in the area of high solids products, with the development of Airflex 465 and 426 emulsions.

As we move beyond the year 2000, environmental challenges are taking precedence. Solutions are being quickly demanded; by the turn of the century solvents such as 1,1,1 TCE will have been eliminated. Now, more than ever, Air Products continues to push the envelope of water-based technology. Our goal is to help adhesive compounders continue to meet strict adhesive performance requirements while, at the same time, keeping pace with an ever-changing market. Leading-edge technologies include the ultra-high-solids (72%) Airflex® 7200 Dev VAE copolymer and the low-VOC Airflex 440 and 440H emulsions.

Broad Product Line

Air Products' Polymer Chemicals Division produces a full line of emulsion products, enabling the company to provide a wide breadth of technology to the adhesives industry.

In our emulsions product line, many base monomers are utilized, such as acrylics, ethylene, urethanes, vinyl acetate, and vinyl chloride. To produce these products, both "pressure" and "atmospheric" process technologies are used. Air Products pioneered the high-pressure copolymerization of vinyl acetate or vinyl chloride with ethylene, and remains the leader in this key technology through continued process development and investment.

A Commitment to Environmental Leadership and Responsible Care

At Air Products, environmental, health, and safety concerns are fostered as an integral part of the company's culture. While a pro-environment attitude is very much the rule, our challenge is to ensure that attitude is translated into action and that our actions result in leadership in environmental, health, and safety performance.

One evidence of this commitment is our active participation in the Chemical Manufacturers Association's Responsible Care program, and in similar initiatives in countries around the world in which we operate.

Commitment to the Adhesives Industry

Air Products maintains a particularly strong allegiance to the adhesives industry. We seek to provide customers with innovative products of the highest quality, backed by the best technical support in the industry.

In addition to ongoing new product innovation and production capacity expansion, the company's commitment is exemplified by the importance of our technical service capabilities. Continuous investments in new test equipment and analytical instrumentation are made, while a highly experienced professional staff is dedicated to serving our customers.

How to Learn More About What Air Products Can Do for You

For more information, we encourage you to call our Product Information Center at 800-345-3148. (Outside the United States, please call 610-481-6799.)

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Visit our Polymer Emulsions website to view the full range of polymer products.