In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, choosing the right adhesive is critical than ever to maximise product efficiency and quality. In this blog, we explore water based adhesives and why they are a better alternative to traditional solvent-based adhesives.
Superbond, India’s leading adhesive manufacturer with over five decades of expertise in developing industry-focused solutions, produces advanced water based adhesives that deliver superior bonding performance, enhanced safety, eco-friendliness, and cost efficiency. These formulations offer a sustainable alternative to conventional solvent based adhesives that are often harmful to the environment.
What are Water Based Adhesives?
Water Based Adhesives are bonding solutions that use water as their main carrier instead of harsh chemical solvents. These adhesives are formulated with polymers such as polyvinyl acetate(PVA), acrylic or natural rubber, which provide dependable adhesion for various materials including paper, wood, textiles and cardboard.
These adhesives typically come as ready to use liquids or dry powders mixed with water, and they set by evaporation, leaving strong, durable bonds for industrial and everyday applications.
Superbond manufactures a comprehensive range of water based adhesives tailored for packaging, woodworking, bookbinding, and more. Our formulations use carefully selected polymers for specific bonding strengths like PVA for paper and wood, EVA for flexible packaging needs, and acrylics for enhanced moisture resistance.
How water based adhesives different from traditional solvent based adhesives?
Water Based Adhesives and traditional solvent based adhesives both are two distinct approaches to bonding. However, water based adhesive formulations emerge as the smarter choice for modern manufacturing. While the fundamental difference is that water based adhesives use water as their primary carrier instead of harsh chemical solvents, there’s much more to understand why this shift matters to your business.
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Carrier System
Water Based Adhesives use water as the primary carrier, suspending polymer particles directly in it to form a stable emulsion without hazardous solvents. Superbond formulates these adhesives using high-performance polymers such as Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) for bonding wood, paper, and cardboard; Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) for flexible packaging applications; and acrylics for operations requiring moisture resistance. Surfactants ensure these polymers blend uniformly with water, producing a smooth, stable adhesive that applies evenly.
Traditional Solvent-Based Adhesives, by contrast, rely on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as toluene and acetone to dissolve adhesive polymers, enabling them to flow and get applied.
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Drying and Curing
Water based adhesives dry through a process known as polymer coalescence. As water evaporates, the dispersed polymer particles fuse into a continuous film, creating a strong, uniform bond. Superbond’s water based adhesives are engineered for efficiency, they dry rapidly within 20–30 minutes under normal room temperatures, ensuring faster production cycles and cleaner operations.
In contrast, traditional solvent based adhesives cure by releasing volatile solvents into the atmosphere. As these solvents evaporate, the polymer chains interlock to form the bond.
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Environment and Health Impact
Drying of water based adhesives result in near-zero VOC emissions, making them environmentally friendly for both the user and the environment. The drying and curing process of traditional solvent based adhesives results in harmful VOC emissions, which can lead to polluting indoor air, contribute to outdoor smog and cause health hazards. Moreover, water based adhesives are non-flammable and pose very low health risks, while solvent based types are often flammable and require careful ventilation and storage.
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Application and Cleanup
Water Based Adhesives are easy to clean with water and do not require special solvent cleaners. Solvent based adhesives leave residues that often demand harsh solvents for cleanup.
Why water based adhesives are an upgrade over traditional solvent based adhesives?
Water based adhesives are considered an upgrade to traditional solvent-based adhesives for several important reasons, reflecting advancements in environmental responsibility, safety, and overall performance:
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Environmental and Health Advantages
Solvent based adhesives are formulated by Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) such as such as toluene and acetone. Water based adhesives use water as the primary carrier emitting significantly lower volatile organic compounds(VOCs) compared to solvent based adhesives.
This drastically reduces health risks associated with inhaling harmful fumes, making water based adhesives much safer for workers and the environment. They are non-flammable and odourless, reducing fire hazards and improving working conditions by eliminating strong chemical odours.
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Safer and Simple Handling
Because water-based adhesives lack harsh solvents, they are much safer to handle, store, and clean up. There is no need for special ventilation systems or hazardous waste disposal protocols that are necessary for solvent-based products. Cleanup involves just water rather than toxic solvent removal chemicals, simplifying maintenance and reducing operational costs.
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Physical Form
Water based Adhesives come in versatile forms: They are available as ready to use liquids or as dry powders that need to be mixed with water before application. This option to supply adhesives in powder form offers advantages such as longer shelf life, easier transportation without the added weight or risk of liquid spills, and flexibility for the end-user to prepare fresh adhesive batches suited to their immediate needs.
In contrast, traditional solvent-based adhesives are almost exclusively supplied as liquid formulations. These liquids contain organic solvents as carriers and cannot be supplied as powders because the polymers are dissolved in solvents rather than dispersed. This makes solvent-based adhesives less flexible in terms of storage and handling.
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Use in Sensitive Applications
Water Based Adhesives are odourless to low odour, with near-zero VOC emissions which makes them suitable for indoor workspaces. They are ideal for packaging, food-contact, bookbinding and children’s products because they do not emit toxic fumes and are non-flammable.
Due to their strong, unpleasant fumes and high VOC emissions, solvent based adhesives are not suitable for use in industries with strict hygiene or environmental requirements.
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Cost-Effectiveness and Compliance
Water is cheaper than organic solvents, which means water-based adhesives generally cost less to produce. Coupled with savings from reduced ventilation needs, lower safety risks, and fewer regulatory compliance requirements related to VOC emissions, water-based adhesives provide a more economical choice over the long term. As regulations on air quality and workplace safety tighten worldwide, water-based adhesives offer future-proof solutions aligned with environmental standards.
Why choose Superbond Water Based Adhesives?
Choosing the right adhesive is crucial for any manufacturing or industrial process, and Superbond’s water based adhesives offer a compelling solution that balances performance, safety, and sustainability. From packaging and woodworking to textiles and automotive applications, Superbond provides a versatile, user-friendly, and cost-effective adhesive portfolio that meets modern manufacturing demands. Here are some of the reasons why you should upgrade to Superbond’s water based adhesives:
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Superior Bonding Performance
Our advanced water based adhesives, formulated with high performance polymers create strong, durable bonds that can withstand vibration, movement, humidity and temperature variations, making them suitable for furniture, packaging, bookbinding, membrane doors, and many other applications.
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Eco-Friendly and Safe
Superbond’s water based adhesives focus on sustainability by using water as their primary carrier, reducing VOC emissions compared to traditional solvent based adhesives. Our products exceed global environmental standards by incorporating over 30% plant based polymers, minimising ecological harm while promoting safer indoor air quality for users. Being non-toxic and non-flammable, Superbond adhesives enhance workplace safety, simplify storage, and reduce hazardous waste concerns.
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Versatility and User Convenience
Superbond water-based adhesives are available in both ready-to-use liquids and dry powders that can be mixed as needed, offering flexibility in handling and storage. Their formulations allow for multiple application methods like spraying, rolling, dipping, or brushing, without issues like clogging or premature drying. This makes them adaptable across various manufacturing environments, from manual operations to high-speed automated lines, improving efficiency and reducing downtime.
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Fast Setting and Energy Efficiency
These adhesives dry quickly often in 20–30 minutes at room temperature, removing the need for costly heat-curing equipment and reducing energy consumption. This fast set time translates into accelerated production cycles and faster time-to-market without compromising bond strength or durability.
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Application Specific Formulations
With additives like plasticisers for flexibility, thickeners for viscosity control, and preservatives for longer shelf life, Superbond tailors adhesives for specialised industries such as paper cone manufacturing, carton and box production, laminate bonding, textiles, and woodworking.
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Commitment to Quality and Innovation
Superbond maintains rigorous manufacturing processes, quality control, and continuous innovation, ensuring consistent adhesive performance batch to batch. Their comprehensive customer support and well-established manufacturing facilities positioned close to key ports ensure reliable supply and service.
Conclusion
Water based adhesives represent a comprehensive upgrade to traditional solvent based glue because they improve performance across nearly every important dimension: safety for workers and communities, environmental compliance, regulatory adherence, operational efficiency, and long-term cost management.
Superbond’s commitment to eco-friendly manufacturing, combined with rigorous quality control and continuous innovation, positions their water-based adhesives as the optimal choice for companies prioritising both reliability and sustainable development.
By selecting Superbond’s water based solutions, manufacturers receive not just an adhesive but a complete bonding solution that drives efficiency, durability, and environmental responsibility, proving that the shift toward water based adhesive technology isn’t just better for the planet; it’s better for business too.
