The latest green products perform just as well, if not better, than their former counterparts.

By K.J. Quinn
How do you create a better mousetrap?

This question is posed to adhesives manufacturers each year as changing environmental regulations continue to limit the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released into the air. An ongoing challenge is to create “greener” products that comply with both indoor air quality (IAQ) regulations and LEED requirements, and do not compromise performance and working qualities.

“Green adhesives have become a major focus of the wood flooring industry and a very important part of the building community in general,” said John Lio, DriTac Adhesive Group’s marketing manager. “DriTac has been a leader in green wood flooring adhesives, offering three different types: a green moisture-cure urethane adhesive, a green high solids, polymeric resin adhesive and a green pressure sensitive adhesive.”

Glue makers say they have invested heavily in R&D to not only ensure the latest bonding systems comply with manufacturer specs, but develop next-generation products that comply with stricter IAQ guidelines.

Some of these technologies center on boosting moisture and alkali resistance, cross-linking and solids content for waterborne glues, while moisture-cured urethanes offer installers improved trowelability and clean up.

“At Mapei, R&D efforts focus on producing products that contain green innovation, but that is not the sole requirement,” said Brian Pistulka, product line manager, tile and stone installation systems. “We also focus on enhancing the performance of our products and installation systems for the installers who use them.”

W.F. Taylor claims its strong relationships with many of the top flooring manufacturers have helped it stay on the forefront of the latest product developments. “Our manufacturer customer base has come to expect that Taylor will have the complete adhesive answer for their installation requirements,” said Barry Wright, executive vice president. “We have doubled our R&D staff and budget over the last five years and are working on various new research initiatives.” Taylor develops products from inception with environmental and regulatory requirements.

In the past, adhesives makers tinkered with their formulations to make them greener. However, in many cases it came at the expense of sacrificing certain performance and handling advantages. Today, vendors claim they have worked out the kinks to a point where the latest environmentally friendly products are marketed as performing just as well, if not better, than tried-and-true formulations in such critical areas as bond ability and tacking strength.

These products were also designed with installers in mind as they are reportedly easier and faster to work with, enabling them to move quickly from one job to the next.

A case in point is Franklin International’s new line of GreenChoice adhesives. “These high-performance products are formulated with environmentally superior technology for the toughest jobs,” explained Mark Schroeder, senior brand manager. “Specifically for flooring, the Titebond 811 Advantage, Tite-bond 821 Premium and Tite-bond 741 Ultimate adhesive products are all included in the new GreenChoice family.” The products are VOC-compliant and mold and mildew resistant.

To comply with environmental regulations, some manufacturers are using alternatives such as vinyl polymers and 100% solids systems as they move away from traditional, solvent-containing adhesives. Others are developing bonding systems based on “hybrid” technologies, meaning they combine attributes from existing chemistries to create a single formulation that addresses long standing application issues.

A case in point is the wood industry, where vendors have successfully combined the attributes from chemistries such as polyurethane, waterborne and hot melts to create a single formulation based on hybrid technologies.

Surfaces 2007 served as a launching pad for many new technologies and low-VOC adhesives. For example, DriTac’s 7500 Eco-Urethane is marketed as a solvent- and VOC-free wood flooring adhesive in addition to being easy to spread. “It contains no water and provides a permanent bond on a wide range of wood flooring applications,” Lio said. “This product is environmentally friendly and competitively priced among all other moisture-cured urethane wood flooring adhesives available on the market.”

W.F. Taylor’s latest adhesives are based upon Taylor’s Metatec cross-linking chemistry and are low VOC, certified by Greenguard and CRI Green Label Plus, and built using as much as 30% renewable resources. “The Greenguard certification is difficult to achieve and Taylor has been successful at certifying close to 95% of its flooring products line,” Wright said. “The ability to certify helps downstream with LEED points and building qualifications and with green building, in general.”

One of the latest environmentally friendly products from Mapei is Ultralite Mortar, a lightweight, premium-grade, multipurpose thin-set mortar that also can be used for medium-bed and non-sag applications. It is formulated with Easy Glide Technology for ease of application and BioBlock technology for antimicrobial protection. Ultralite Mortar is said to provide twice the coverage of a standard thin-set mortar and approved for use with natural stone and light-colored grouts.
 
Bostik recently introduced Bostik TKO, a moisture-cured urethane hardwood adhesive. It offers a low-VOC content, is easy to spread and clean and has an antimicrobial included. “All in all, it has all the performance features and benefits of a moisture-cured urethane, with the working characteristics of a water-based adhesive,” said Robert McNamara, national sales and marketing manager—Flooring Group. “It’s a ‘technical knock out,’ so to speak.”

As is the case with any new product, industry members say it will take time to determine if the latest glue systems take hold.