The Benefits and Uses of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate

The Benefits and Uses of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate

February 3, 2025

Discover why ethylene vinyl acetate is a high value resource in various applications from making glue to shoes.

Ethylene vinyl acetate is a highly versatile copolymer known for its features such as flexibility, durability and excellent thermal properties making it a crucial substance for many industries. It is a preferred choice for manufacturing a wide range of products, especially when it’s important to have a good mix of quality and price including adhesives and foam materials. In this blog post, we’ll talk about what EVA is, its thermal properties, and its uses.

Understanding Ethylene Vinyl Acetate

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is a thermoplastic polymer that comes from co polymerization of ethylene and vinyl acetate. By this process, a material is obtained which is a combination of ethylene’s strength and hardness along with the flexibly and elasticity of vinyl acetate. The quantity of vinyl acetate varies within the polymer; if the proportion is higher, then the EVA products are softer and more flexible.

EVA is most popularly used for thermal insulation and protective qualities due to its notable thermal properties such as:

Thermal Conductivity: It has lower thermal conductivity thus making a good thermal insulator. This quality is quite useful especially for products which require temperature regulation or insulation such as shoes and packing materials.

Specific Heat Capacity: Water has a large value of the specific heat of water which makes it capable of heat absorption without expanding or contracting. It is most beneficial when the material used changes temperature in a given environment, and thus makes the insulating surface functional.

Thermal Degradation: The properties of EVA are not significantly affected by humidity and EVA can maintain its properties at low temperature, but it may undergo degradation at high temperatures typically higher than 200 °C. The knowledge of this thermal degradation is especially important in industries which include the application of high heat such as in baking.

Key Benefits of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate

EVA is the most popular because of the advantages it possesses; this is why it is used in a wide range of industries in the manufacture of products.

Durability: EVA is incredibly durable, one of the aspects that make EVA very unique and excellent in its performance. It can easily accommodate a lot of wear and tear, which makes it appropriate in products that require to face some challenges. It is used in wear resistant pads, packaging materials, safety shoes soles, etc. and this is due to its properties that causes it to be effective without being deformed or breaking.

Flexibility and Elasticity: It is particularly appreciated for its extremely good flex crack at low temperatures including flash freeze conditions. This is usually used where parts must remain flexible without fracturing or becoming brittle, in sports items for instance and other health care products.

UV Radiation Resistance: The fact that EVA not only does not degrade on exposure to ultraviolet light but also does not develop the ability to transmit the ultraviolet rays make it ideal for exterior uses. Roofing membranes and outdoor footwear manufactured from EVA offer continued stability even if they are exposed to sunlight for quite some time.

Chemical Resistance: It is also chemically resistant to oils, solvents and most acids therefore making its use wider and wider.

Common Uses of EVA

EVA is highly versatile, making it popular in several industries. Below are the various ways it is used:

Foam Products: EVA foam is known for its excellent shock absorbing features. It is employed in sport shoes, yoga mats and padding material. The foam is used as it is light weight while it has a tough outer facing providing proper cushioning during impact and maintaining its form. To understand thermal properties of EVA foam, read the article on thermal conductivity of EVA foam.

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foam

Figure 1: EVA foam is most popularly used in mats and padding materials

Adhesives: Hot melt adhesives are made of EVA due to the rapid bonding capabilities and flexibility it possesses. These adhesives are most commonly used in the packaging industry in bookbinding and woodwork sector.

Hot melt adhesives

Figure 2: Hot melt adhesives are made of EVA and most used in packaging and woodwork

Sealants and Coatings: EVA has weather resisting abilities making it popular in construction and automotive industries as sealants. It is also widely used as coating on electrical wires and cables since it is a good insulator.

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate is water resistant and thus used as sealants

Figure 3: EVA is water resistant and thus used as sealants

Medical Applications: EVA is widely applied in medical instruments starting from medical tubes to protective suits. They have high tolerance to chemical effects; hence, it is a reliable material to use in healthcare facilities.

medical protective suits

Figure 4: Many medical equipment is made of EVA such as protective suits

Film and Packaging: EVA films are used in packaging due to its transparent qualities, durability and puncture resistance. It also has a low melting point making it ideal to use in shrink films and laminations.

Laminations and shrink films

Figure 5: Laminations and shrink films widely used for packaging are made with EVA

Key Takeaway

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is an acute polymer that has many benefits beyond its use in numerous industries. The inherent characteristics such as its strength, flexibility and thermal properties enable it to be used in variety of applications such as foams, adhesives, medical and coating equipment and devices. Effective from the soles of your athletic shoes to glue in packaging materials, EVA carries out a great and lasting role in many goods.

Some of the thermal characteristics include low thermal conductivity, high specific heat capacity and therefore suitable for thermal insulation and temperature control uses. Furthermore, EVA possesses excellent durability and its endurance to the environmental influence such as UV lights and chemicals make EVA a stable product which can be used in interior as well as exteriors including manufacture of articles such as sports equipment or construction materials.

Since demand for materials which meet both performance and cost requirements are on the rise, EVA is likely to remain the number one choice for industries. Its use in producing medical equipment, in aerospace manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, weather, coatings etc. makes it crucial in many industries.

The use of EVA in your business processes and or product designs can result in propositions like better product endurance, protection and efficiency. Due to those characteristics, it is critical in the design of most modern systems due to adaptability and the expense of implementation. From footwear, protections, constructions, to health care, EVA offers distinctive products that incorporate strength and flexibility all the time in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ethylene vinyl acetate used for?

EVA is used in different sectors like foam products, adhesives and sealants, coatings and other products like medical devices and packing materials. The demand for EVA is high in these industries due to flexibility, durability and the ability to absorb heat.

What industries commonly use EVA?

Some of the industries that heavily use EVA because of its versatility and endurance are footwear manufacturing industries, medical devices industries, packaging industries, construction industries and automotive industries. Furthermore, its performance in various environmental conditions is excellent which makes EVA a preferred choice as an outdoor application material.

Is EVA environmentally friendly?

EVA is non-biodegradable, but it can be recycled and there has been development towards the recycling of EVA products particularly in footwear and packaging industries. However, there are also certain manufacturers who are working towards the possibility of having an even more effective material than EVA.

References

EVA FOAM: FEATURES, ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATION OF THE MATERIAL. (2024, April 23). Retrieved from eva-line: https://eva-line.com/news.html/foamiran.html

Sohrab Azizi, E. D.-T.-P. (2018, December). Electrical and thermal conductivity of ethylene vinyl acetate composite with graphene and carbon black filler. Retrieved from Science Direct: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0142941818313254

Thermal Conductivity of EPS and EVA Foam. (n.d.). Retrieved from Thermtest.com: https://thermtest.com/application/thermal-conductivity-of-eps-and-eva-foam

 

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