Due to their high versatility and well-balanced cost/performance ratio, polyurethanes are the first choice for many applications like CASE and foams. However, reactive polyurethane systems as for example adhesives and sealants have constantly been under regulatory pressure. This will reach its latest peak in September 2023 with the introduction of the new REACH regulation concerning the content of monomeric diisocyanates in finished goods.

As one of the largest producers of reactive polyurethane products for construction and industrial applications, Sika undertook great efforts in the past years to develop polyurethanes adhesives and sealants with the lowest possible monomeric content. This could be achieved by cleverly designing our prepolymers as well as their production process.

We will outline the key points of the new prepolymer design and examples on how it was possible to translate the benefits into new product properties.