New Lamination Adhesive for Fire-Rated and Borated Boards

Franklin Adhesives & Polymers has simplified production of flame retardant panels with the introduction of a lamination adhesive – Advantage 460 – developed specifically for bonding HPL and wood veneer to fire-rated or borated particleboard and fiberboard.

The flame retardant panels serve as partitions, wall linings, ceilings, display panels and other building components and are used where flame retardant board is required by building codes and regulations, primarily in public structures.

Advantage 460 is specially formulated to minimize the reaction with borates in fire-rated particleboard and fiberboard. Borates can cause other adhesives to gel too quickly before they can bond the substrates. Advantage 460 extends the working time to five to seven minutes, consistently providing a strong bond and enabling the manufacturer to laminate a larger quantity of panels for hot or cold pressing concurrently, increasing product yield. It also offers good spreader stability.

Used as a one-part product, this crosslinking polyvinyl acetate (PVA) emulsion formulation also offers high water resistance for interior panels. The manufacturer can add aluminum chloride to improve water resistance. As a two-part system, Advantage 460 offers excellent catalyzed pot life over a 24-hour period, which increases agility during the manufacturing process. Whether used as a one- or two-component system, the adhesive can be cold or hot pressed.

The new Advantage 460 exceeds the requirements of ASTM D6007-14, has passed the screening test for CARB ATCM Phase 2 on 1⁄4’’ 3-ply birch HWPW-VC and meets the EPA guidelines for TSCA Title VI. It has been tested and proven effective on all of the top-rated borated boards.

“We are proud to lead the way in developing a premier adhesive solution specifically for use with fire retardant boards,” said Jaye Schroeder, vice president, industrial business, at Franklin Adhesives & Polymers. “Beyond supporting our customers in meeting key regulations for the production of these boards, Advantage 460 gives them the performance characteristics they need for maximum efficiency in laminating borated boards.”