Issue 6/2019 - Bio-based feedstocks for the preparation of polymeric binders

At EUROPECOAT 2019, March 19-21, WACKER presented VINNECO,^®
a new polymeric binder series based on renewable raw materials.
The product is produced from bio-based acetic acid or starch and is typical of VINNECO^®CT 7030, which can be used directly in the final product and can be used to track the proportion of bio-based raw materials using radiocarbon dating, especially for interior paints and plastering
.

WACKER produces vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) copolymer dispersions from bio-based acetic acid and ethylene
, by-products of the wood processing industry.
When used in products such as wall paints, this polymer emulsion binds pigments, fillers and additives to provide an ideal and long-lasting adhesion to the wall
.
Bio-based acetic acid has high purity, low water content and excellent quality, and can completely replace acetic acid
produced from natural gas or oil.

WACKER also uses starch residues from potato processing and adds vinyl acetate-vinyl polymer to produce a new binder
mixture.
The new binder, which contains 30% modified biopolymers, can reduce the amount of VAE dispersions typically produced from petrochemical feedstocks by approximately 1/3, thereby reducing the carbon footprint
of the final product.

Dr.
Martin Schierhorn, Marketing Manager at WACKER POLYMERS, said: "We are one of the
first on the market to combine starch with vinyl acetate-ethylene polymers for industrial applications.
We maximized starch usage
.
In terms of rheological properties, wet abrasion resistance, dispersibility and hiding power, VINNECO^®CT 7030 is no less than any conventional product
based on petrochemical feedstocks.
”