Description

Polyvinyl acetate, PVA, PVAc, poly(ethenyl ethanoate), is a rubbery synthetic polymer with the formula (C4H6O2)n. It belongs to the polyvinyl esters family with the general formula -[RCOOCHCH2]-. It is a type of thermoplastic. It should not be confused with the related polymer polyvinyl alcohol, which is also called PVA.
Polyvinyl acetate is a component of a widely used glue type, commonly referred to as wood glue, white glue, carpenter's glue, school glue, Elmer's glue (in the US), or PVA glue.

Applications and uses
As an emulsion in water, PVAc emulsions are used as adhesives for porous materials, particularly for wood, paper, and cloth, and as a consolidant for porous building stone, in particular sandstone.[4] Uses:
as wood glue PVAc is known as "white glue" and the yellow "carpenter's glue" or PVA glue.
as paper adhesive during paper packaging converting
in bookbinding and book arts, due to its flexible strong bond and non-acidic nature (unlike many other polymers). The use of PVAC on the Archimedes Palimpsest during the *0th century greatly hindered the task of disbinding the book and preserving and imaging the pages in the early *1st century, in part because the glue was stronger than the parchment it held together.
for handcrafted works.
as envelope adhesives,
as wallpaper adhesive
The stiff homopolymer PVAc, but mostly the more soft copolymer a combination of vinyl acetate and ethylene, vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE), is used also in paper coatings, paint and other industrial coatings, as binder in nonwovens in glass fibers. sanitary napkins, filter paper and in textile finishing
PVAc can also be used as coating to protect cheese from fungi and humidity[citation needed].
Polyvinyl acetate is also the raw material to make other polymers like:
Polyvinyl alcohol -[HOCHCH2]-: Polyvinyl acetate is partially or completely hydrolysed to give polyvinyl alcohol. This reversible saponification and esterification reaction was a strong hint for Hermann Staudinger in the formulation of his theory of macromolecules.
Polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP): Polyvinyl acetate is partially hydrolyzed and then esterified with phthalic acid.