Vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) copolymers are the third-largest derivative of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) after polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA), which is both consumed as is and converted into PVOH. VAE is a copolymer of vinyl acetate with ethylene that differs from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in the ratio of VAM to ethylene.
VAE copolymers are used as a binder, in caulking applications, and as joint compounds for a wide range of applications. Packaging and paper adhesive such as carton sealing or film-to-paper lamination is the largest end-use for VAE emulsions. More recently, VAE has become more important in architectural coatings and paints. With ethylene directly incorporated into the polymer backbone, VAE provides good properties to the formulation without additional solvents or plasticizers. VAE is therefore considered an environmentally friendly product, reducing the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
