Sustainable PUR Hotmelt Micro Emission Adhesives for the Furniture Industry

Today with ME

The furniture industry is constantly adapting to an ever-increasing demand for greater operational safety, more sustainable materials, and compliance to stricter regulations, like REACH Annex 17.

Henkel’s comprehensive portfolio of high-performance, bonding solutions combined with our technical expertise helps you excel in all applications around furniture manufacturing.

What is REACH Annex XVII?

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, and is a European-wide legislation aimed at promoting the use of safe chemicals substances. REACH, Annex XVII regulations particularly affect industries that use products, such as PUR hot melt adhesives in manufacturing processes.

REACH compliance requires that labeling requirements are implemented for products that that contain diisocyanates (in concentrations above 0.1% by weight). Additionally, as of August 24, 2023, all professional users must receive adequate training and be certified before using these products.   

However, Micro Emission (ME) adhesives with concentrations of diisocyanates below 0.1% by weight are classified as non-hazardous and therefore, exempt from the labeling and training requirement.

As a longstanding leader in sustainable adhesive solutions, Henkel offers a range of Micro Emission PUR hotmelt adhesives to help improve productivity, efficiency, and safety.

Applications for Micro Emission Adhesives

Henkel offers a large range of Micro Emission adhesives for applications such as edge banding, flat lamination and profile wrapping. Explore the product range below:

 

Application Product
Edge Banding TECHNOMELT PUR 270/9 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 270/5 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 260/1 ME
Flat Lamination TECHNOMELT PUR 4655 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 4688 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 4663 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 4671 ME
Profile Wrapping TECHNOMELT PUR 6202 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 6350 ME
TECHNOMELT PUR 6208 ME

 

High Performance with ME

Technomelt PUR Micro Emission adhesives offer all the advantages of conventional PUR hotmelt adhesives including:

  • Best in class heat resistance
  • Unmatched moisture resistance
  • Broad adhesion spectrum
  • Low adhesive application weight

 

More Safety with ME

Together with polyols, Dipehnyl-methane diisocyanate (MDI) – is a key component of a reactive polyurethane adhesive (PUR) – necessary for the cross-linking reaction and outstanding bonding performance. Depending on the concentration, diisocyanate carries a health risk when emitted as a vapor.

Containing less than 0.1% monomeric diisocyanate, Technomelt PUR Micro Emission adhesive portfolio has no harzadous label, does not require a specific professional training for operators, and offers an easy and safe handling in production.

More Sustainability with ME

Technomelt PUR Micro Emission adhesives protect not only the safety of operators, but also the environment. Contributing to the carbon footprint reduction, Henkel’s ME adhesives use less intensive CO2 raw materials and require a lower working temperature, consequently saving energy.

Henkel has the capability to offer the Life-cycle Assessment (LCA) of its adhesives. Get in touch below to find out how.

 

Switch to ME Easily

Switching to Micro Emission adhesives bears a lot of benefits. But what does it mean for your production? Fortunately, there won’t be any significant changes if you are already using polyurethane hotmelts. Micro Emission products work with the same chemistry: a reactive system. Hence, you can use the same equipment by adjusting the settings according to the product technical data sheet.

If you are using EVA or another thermoplastic hotmelt you can also make the switch by installing the adequate melting equipment. You can always consult our Technical Team in case of questions.

Additionally, Henkel offers you help for your transformation, with excellent technical service and long-term experience in ME technologies.

For more information on REACH regarding diisocyanates EU 2020/1149 & 1907/2006.

1 As of 24 August 2023, successfully completed training will be required for all professional and industrial users of products with a total monomeric diisocyanate concentration of > 0.1%

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