Munich (Germany)-based Wacker Chemie, targeting the Middle East’s fast growing markets of construction, paints and coatings, adhesives, textiles, energy, plastics and elastomers, is offering a wide range of sealants and adhesives in which it is a world leader.

Vinnapas VAE dispersions from Wacker can be formulated into adhesives for various applications namely paper and packaging, wood and flooring. This technology is increasingly replacing other technologies due to its high performance, safety and versatility.

The company also offers Geniosil organofunctional silanes, innovative hybrid polymers for bonding and sealing, and a range of finished products for the construction industry.

“The Geniosil STP-E product line can be exploited to produce completely novel, fast-curing, one-component adhesives and sealants. The a-effect even permits the formulation of tin-free systems – representing a technological leap in user safety,” a company spokesman says.

“Adhesives formulated with Geniosil STP-E possess outstanding mechanical properties. They do not require labeling, the formulations being free of plasticizers and solvents. Geniosil STP-E is used in numerous sophisticated adhesive formulations. In the Middle East, this technology is used for the construction industry especially for bonding, grouting or sealing.

“The products enjoy strong market popularity because Wacker solutions utilise German technology to cater to local needs.”

Giving an insight into their special features, the spokesman said the market for flooring adhesives demands products which provide excellent bonding strength, dimensional stability and workability while at the same time they have to comply with environmental labels. “With Vinnapas VAE co- and terpolymers, Wacker offers both high-performance binders with an excellent property profile and the possibility to meet strict regulations. This makes them ideal to formulate adhesives for a wide variety of flexible floor coverings.

“Wacker’s Geniosil STP-E is characterised by no residual tack in finished products and low viscosity. This product range also has no health risk because it is isocyanate-free and solvent-free. Geniosil STP-E10 and Geniosil STP-E30 in particular offer fast through-cure, fast strength build-up, excellent shelf-life, high strength and unique clarity.”

For the paper and packaging industry, especially food packaging, envelope manufacturing, and film lamination on paper, Wacker offers Vinnapas EP 4xx family, Vinnapas EP 706, and Vinnapas EP 8010. For the flooring industry, on the other hand, the German manufacturer offers Vinnapas EAF 67, and Vinnapas EAF 68.

In addition, all the products within the Geniosil brand can be mixed in order to achieve a variety of properties. Therefore, Geniosil STP-E as well as Geniosil XB and WP are used across industries since hybrid poylmers allow the formulators to develop products meeting the demand in many areas. 

 New from Wacker, Vinnapas EP 8010 represents the future of waterborne adhesive formulation for paper and packaging. This unique vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) copolymer dispersion combines high adhesion on difficult-to-bond substrates with the latest paper and packaging formulation demands including outstanding setting speed, high heat resistance and excellent machinability.

Moreover, Wacker experts have now developed Geniosil XB 502, a new silane-modified polymer that offers an alternative to the traditional binder. This is an a-silane-terminated polyether that is free of isocyanates, cures on contact with atmospheric moisture through silane crosslinking and delivers high strength bonding.

Wacker is continuously innovating, spending nearly 4 per cent of its sales on R&D. At the last European Coatings Show in Nuremberg it presented a dozen novelties. One of them, for example, was Vinnapas EAF 68, an aqueous dispersion based on the monomers vinyl acetate, ethylene and acrylate for hard-to-bond floor coverings, such as linoleum and PVC. Currently, Wacker is working on some very promising solutions which it intends to show at the next ECS in 2015.