Sustainability has many facets. On the path to more environment-friendly processes and products, companies need extensive expertise and a 360-degree perspective. And it also involves the use of modern adhesives. Jowat’s Green Adhesives provide a bundle of future-oriented adhesives and services that help increase the sustainability of bonding applications in the furniture industry. Today’s adhesive portfolio takes into account the many different aspects of sustainability and goes beyond safeguarding the health of employees and the consumer.
Occupational health and safety
Employees are the greatest asset of a company. Employers have the duty to safeguard the health and safety of their employees. Manufacturers can improve the occupational safety in their company by changing to PUR hot melt adhesive that are not subject to hazard classification. So-called monomer-reduced PUR hot melt adhesives have a very low monomer diisocyanate (MDI) content of less than 0.1 percent and are therefore not subject to hazard labeling. In addition, there is also the training requirement mandated by law which comes into effect on August 24, 2023, and applies to all processors of conventional PUR hot melt adhesives within the European Union. The additional training can be avoided by choosing the MR range of Jowatherm-Reaktant® products.
Resource conservation
The continued use of fossil raw materials is a major concern of our age—resource-saving solutions are needed. Companies that have pledged to protect the environment and the climate are looking for ways to reduce and avoid energy-intensive applications. And the ongoing optimization of workplace safety is also a major focus. Low-temp hot melt adhesives facilitate efficient manufacturing processes and are therefore a win-win solution for humans and machines alike. Conventional hot melt adhesives are generally melted and applied at high temperatures. The heating of the adhesive in the process therefore requires a high energy input. In comparison, low-temp hot melt adhesives can be processed at significantly lower temperatures and meet highest expectations in terms of quality. They optimize energy consumption in the bonding process and conserve resources.
Healthy living
Healthy environments are increasingly at the forefront of the mind of consumers. The potential long-term effects of plasticizers, formaldehyde and other ingredients are well known. The choice of the right adhesive therefore significantly contributes to the safety of processors and consumers. Emission-reduced (ER) adhesives characterized by very low emissions of formaldehyde, plasticizers and other ingredients facilitate the manufacturing and bonding of low-pollutant products. Contributing to the protection of the environment and customers.
Renewable raw materials
Fossil raw materials are finite. Now is the right time to make another step towards sustainability and at the same time increase our independence from petrochemical raw materials. Biobased adhesives are characterized by precisely that added benefit and thereby provide a valuable contribution to the protection of the environment. In Detmold, Jowat manufactures biobased adhesives using raw materials from renewable sources as well as following the mass balance approach. The fundamental prerequisite is always the same: The raw materials must not be in competition with food supplies. In light of the above, Jowat is continuously expanding the adhesive portfolio: adhesives developed with practical applications in mind that can be used in bonding processes as early as tomorrow.
The article is published in the magazine ''möbelfertigung 04/2023" in German language. You can download the original article down below.