Polyvinyl acetate
A thermoplastic adhesive used for porous materials.
Polyvinyl acetate (also called PVA, PVAc, or poly(ethenyl ethanoate)) is a synthetic, rubbery, thermoplastic adhesive. It belongs to the polyvinyl ester family and has the formula (C₄H₆O₂)ₙ. Commonly known as wood glue, white glue, carpenter’s glue, school glue, or (in the US) Elmer’s Glue, it is widely used for bonding porous materials such as wood, paper, and cloth.
The polymer’s chain length typically ranges from 100 to 5000 repeating units. Its ester groups are vulnerable to base hydrolysis, which slowly converts it into polyvinyl alcohol and acetic acid. Depending on molecular weight, its glass transition temperature falls between 30 and 45 °C. In commercial dispersions like Elmer’s Glue-All, polyvinyl alcohol is added as a protective colloid. Under alkaline conditions, boron compounds such as boric acid or borax cause this polyvinyl alcohol to cross-link, forming tacky precipitates or toys like Slime and Flubber. Many microorganisms can break down polyvinyl acetate, most often filamentous fungi, but also algae, yeasts, lichens, and bacteria.
Polyvinyl acetate was first discovered in Germany in 1912 by Fritz Klatte. Its monomer, vinyl acetate, was originally produced industrially by adding acetic acid to acetylene with a mercury(I) salt catalyst; today it is mainly made via a palladium-catalyzed oxidative addition of acetic acid to ethylene.
The polymer is prepared by free-radical vinyl polymerization of vinyl acetate monomer.
When dispersed in water (usually as an emulsion), polyvinyl acetate serves as an adhesive for porous materials like wood, paper, and cloth, and as a consolidant for porous building stone, especially sandstone. It is considered food-safe and is used in food packaging. Specific applications include: white glue for wood (with yellow variants called carpenter’s glue); paper adhesive in packaging conversion; bookbinding and book arts (its flexible, strong, non-acidic bond is an advantage, though its use on the Archimedes Palimpsest in the 20th century later made disbinding and imaging difficult because the glue was stronger than the parchment); handicrafts; envelope adhesive; wallpaper adhesive; primer for drywall and other substrates; gum base in chewing gum; cigarette paper adhesive; and coating on Gouda cheese. The stiff homopolymer, and especially the softer copolymer with ethylene (vinyl acetate ethylene, or VAE), is also used in paper coatings, paints, industrial coatings, and as a binder in nonwovens (glass fibers, sanitary napkins, filter paper) and textile finishing.
Polyvinyl acetate is also a raw material for other polymers. Partial or complete hydrolysis yields polyvinyl alcohol; this reversible saponification and esterification helped Hermann Staudinger develop his theory of macromolecules. Partial hydrolysis followed by esterification with phthalic acid produces polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP).
- discoverer
- Fritz Klatte
- discovery_location
- Germany
- chemical_formula
- (C4H6O2)n
- glass_transition_temperature
- 30 to 45 °C
- common_name
- wood glue, white glue, carpenter's glue, school glue, Elmer's Glue
Lore & Background
Polyvinyl acetate is a synthetic, rubbery, aliphatic thermoplastic polymer belonging to the polyvinyl ester family. Its appearance is that of a white or yellow adhesive, commonly sold as a dispersion in water. As a wood glue, the white variant is often called "white glue," while the yellow type is known as "carpenter's glue." The polymer is widely available and used for bonding porous materials such as wood, paper, and cloth. Its range of applications extends to bookbinding, handicrafts, envelope and wallpaper adhesives, a primer for drywall, a gum base in chewing gum, an adhesive for cigarette paper, and even as a coating on Gouda cheese. It is also used as a consolidant for porous building stone like sandstone and is considered food-safe, appearing in food packaging. The defining characteristics of polyvinyl acetate include a degree of polymerization typically between 100 and 5000. Its ester groups are sensitive to base hydrolysis, which slowly converts the polymer into polyvinyl alcohol and acetic acid. The glass transition temperature ranges from 30 to 45 °C, depending on molecular weight. In commercial dispersions like Elmer's Glue-All, polyvinyl alcohol is added as a protective colloid; when boron compounds such as boric acid or borax are introduced in alkaline conditions, the polyvinyl alcohol cross-links, forming tackifying precipitates or toys like Slime and Flubber. A number of microorganisms, most commonly filamentous fungi, but also algae, yeasts, lichens, and bacteria, can degrade polyvinyl acetate. Discovered in Germany in 1912 by Fritz Klatte, the monomer vinyl acetate was first produced industrially by adding acetic acid to acetylene with a mercury(I) salt catalyst, though it is now primarily made via palladium-catalyzed oxidative addition of acetic acid to ethylene. Polyvinyl acetate is prepared by free-radical vinyl polymerization of the vinyl acetate monomer. It also serves as a raw material for making other polymers, such as polyvinyl alcohol through partial or complete hydrolysis, and polyvinyl acetate phthalate through partial hydrolysis followed by esterification with phthalic acid.
Reader's Guide
Polyvinyl acetate is significant as a widely used adhesive for porous materials such as wood, paper, and cloth, and as a consolidant for porous building stone, particularly sandstone. It is considered food-safe and is used in food packaging, as a gum base in chewing gum, and as a coating on Gouda cheese. Its applications also include bookbinding, handicrafts, envelope and wallpaper adhesives, primer for drywall, and as an adhesive for cigarette paper. The polymer is sensitive to base hydrolysis, converting into polyvinyl alcohol and acetic acid, and its glass transition temperature ranges from 30 to 45 °C. Polyvinyl acetate is also the raw material for making polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate phthalate. Its use on the Archimedes Palimpsest during the 20th century hindered later preservation efforts because the glue was stronger than the parchment.
Did You Know?
- Its ester groups are sensitive to base hydrolysis, slowly converting PVAc into polyvinyl alcohol and acetic acid.
- A number of microorganisms, including filamentous fungi, algae, yeasts, lichens, and bacteria, can degrade polyvinyl acetate.
- The use of PVAc on the Archimedes Palimpsest hindered disbinding and preservation because the glue was stronger than the parchment.
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