WACKER Polymer Binders Made from Renewable Resources Receive Certification

Munich-based chemicals company WACKER is a producer capable of using renewable sources to manufacture not only vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE)-based dispersions in commercial quantities, but also other products based on vinyl acetate marketed entirely under the VINNAPAS® brand. To accomplish this, the company uses acetic acid produced as a byproduct in the woodworking sector. TÜV SÜD, an international technical inspection and certification body, has certified that WACKER's biomass balancing method complies with CMS 71 standards. The independent certification assures customers that WACKER's biomass-balanced products replace equivalent quantities of fossil sources with renewable sources at the beginning of production. WACKER is marketing this innovative product class under its new VINNECO® series, which covers all polymer products based on renewable sources. Dr. Christoph Riemer, head of the Consumer and Industrial Polymers business unit at WACKER Polymers, stated: "An increasing number of customers in the construction, paints and coatings, adhesives, textiles and paper sectors value the use of renewable materials." Riemer added: "With our vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers, we can now meet this demand. Ultimately, our sustainability approach begins at the raw materials stage." In WACKER's new polymer class, acetic acid comes from the woodworking sector. The wood comes from PEFC® certified forests managed sustainably. This bio-based acetic acid meets WACKER's quality standards and is characterized by very high purity, excellent color compatibility and very low water content. As a result, the chemical and physical behavior of bio-acetic acid is identical to conventional fossil acetic acid. Moreover, mixing the two types of acetic acid does not affect the properties of the final product.