The Munich-based WACKER Group has developed a new dispersion based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers (VAE) especially for the European carpet market.
With VINNAPAS CA 55 as a binder, it is possible to formulate both precoats and secondary coatings to bond the backings of tufted carpets used as broadloom carpets in residential as well as in commercial buildings.
The new VAE dispersion features low emission values, reduced odor and increased flame retardant properties and can therefore replace traditionally used latex binders based on styrene-butadiene (SB).
VINNAPAS CA 55 is an aqueous dispersion based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers with a mid-range glass transition temperature. Specifically developed for the European market, the new product offers excellent bonding and processing properties for tufted carpets.
Moreover, the dispersion supports the European standards and technical requirements for tufted carpets, including tuft bind and delamination properties. Tufted carpets are primarily manufactured as broadloom carpeting, mainly for flooring in commercial or residential buildings.
The new dispersion is suitable for formulating highly-filled precoats which bond carpet fibers to the primary backing. In addition, VINNAPAS CA 55 enables the formulation of secondary coatings, which, in turn, bond the carpet to the secondary backing. During the manufacturing process, the product shows excellent processing properties.
Moreover, the low-odor dispersion ensures minimal odor both during production and in the end product. VINNAPAS CA 55 also reduces the quantities shipped to customers, since its relatively high solid content of 62 percent means it is more concentrated than SB latex binders, which typically have a solid content of only 50-52 percent.
Compared with conventional SB binders, the new VAE dispersion has the key advantage of low emission values, as confirmed by “GUT” (European Association of Environmentally Friendly Carpets) in tests as per DIN ISO 16000. VINNAPAS CA 55 also offers enhanced fire resistance, reducing the amount of aluminum trihydrate (ATH) needed for manufacturing flame-retardant carpets and thus also lowering the costs of the final formulation.
With over 50 years’ experience in the development and production of VAE dispersions, WACKER is a global technology and market leader in this field. Its VINNAPAS dispersions are increasingly replacing conventionally used latex binders in the formulation of carpet backing compounds.
Besides the dedicated technical center in Dalton, USA, WACKER is further testing and developing polymeric binders for the European carpet industry in Burghausen, Germany, to meet the growing demand for high-quality VAE dispersions in carpet applications. Additionally, VINNAPAS dispersions are often used as binders not only in the construction, paints, coatings and adhesives sectors, but also in plasters, technical textiles and nonwovens.
