Ethylene Vinyl Acetate

BRIEF OVERVIEW

VAE powder is a white free-flowing vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer base powder, readily redispersible in water to form stable emulsion. It combines the original characteristics of VAE emulsion with the unique property of free-flowing powder, and is easy and convenient to handle and store. Dry mixing with other powder materials such as cement, sand or lightweight aggregate at the factory can ensure consistent and reliable performance at the work site. It is used in combination with cement and plaster, or as a sole binder in other dry-mix formulations.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

VAE dispersions are produced by the emulsion polymerization of the hard, polar monomer vinyl acetate and the soft, hydrophobic monomer ethylene. Ethylene functions as an optimal flexibilizer for vinyl acetate, incorporating permanent flexibility into VAE polymers.
 

Hot Melt Adhesives

Hot melt adhesives (such as hot glue sticks) and top-of-the-line soccer cleats are usually made from EVA, generally with additives like wax and resin. EVA is also used as a clinginess-enhancing additive in plastic wraps. Craft-foam sheets are made of EVA and are popularly used for children's foam stickers.

Biomedical Engineering

biomedical engineering applications as a drug-delivery device. The polymer is dissolved in an organic solvent (such as dichloromethane). Powdered drug and filler (typically an inert sugar) are added to the liquid solution and rapidly mixed to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The drug-filler-polymer mixture is then cast into a mold at −80 °C and freeze-dried until solid. These devices are used in drug delivery research to slowly release a compound. The polymer does not biodegrade within the body, but is quite inert and causes little or no reaction following implantation.

EVA Foam

EVA foam is used as padding in equipment for various sports such as ski boots, bicycle saddles, hockey pads, boxing and mixed-martial-arts gloves and helmets, wakeboard boots, waterski boots, fishing rods and fishing-reel handles. It is typically used as a shock absorber in sports shoes, for example. (Some manufacturers of running shoes, market EVA-based compression-moulded foam used in the manufacture of running shoes as "Phylon”.)