Compliance Reference

Adhesive & Sealant VOC Limits by Market

Which VOC regulation applies in each export market, what it actually covers, and the limit values for the adhesive and sealant categories that matter. Every figure links to the published source so you can verify it yourself.

Checked September 15, 2026·Compiled by the PACT technical team

Verify before you ship. Standards are revised, and a rejected container costs far more than an hour of checking. Treat this page as a starting map, not as a compliance certificate — confirm each figure against the current published text linked in the table below, and confirm the grade you are buying with a current accredited-lab test report naming that grade.

Which Regulation Applies Where

The single most common sourcing error is quoting the wrong instrument. Adhesives and paints are governed separately in most markets, and content limits and emission classes are different measurements. Start here.

Market	Instrument	Status	Covers Adhesives?	Notes
United States — California	SCAQMD Rule 1168 ↗Adhesive and sealant applications	Mandatory	Yes	Legally binding in the South Coast air district, and frequently written into private specifications well outside California, including LEED credits. Aerosol adhesives in non-refillable cans are outside its limits.
United States — federal	EPA 40 CFR 59 (National VOC rules) ↗Consumer and commercial products	Mandatory	Yes	Federal limits are generally less strict than California. State rules govern where both apply.
China	GB 33372-2020 ↗VOC content limits for adhesives	Mandatory	Yes	Mandatory national standard covering solvent-based, water-based and bulk (solvent-free) adhesives, with limits set by adhesive type and application field together.
European Union	Directive 2004/42/EC (Decopaint) ↗Paints, varnishes and vehicle refinishing products	Mandatory	No	Commonly and wrongly cited for adhesives. Decopaint does not set adhesive VOC limits — it covers decorative paints and varnishes only.
European Union	REACH (EC 1907/2006) ↗Chemical substances placed on the EU market	Substance restriction	Yes	REACH restricts specific substances rather than total VOC. SVHC declaration is what an EU importer will normally ask for.
Germany / EU construction	GEV EMICODE (EC1 / EC1 PLUS) ↗Emissions from installation materials	Voluntary	Yes	Measures emissions into indoor air after application, not VOC content in the tin. Often demanded by flooring and interior contractors.
Germany	Blue Angel (RAL-UZ 113) ↗Low-emission floor covering adhesives	Voluntary	Yes	An ecolabel rather than a legal limit, but frequently written into public tender specifications.

United States — SCAQMD Rule 1168

Rule 1168 is legally binding only in the South Coast Air Quality Management District, but LEED credits, architectural specifications and corporate procurement standards cite it well beyond California. Most limits are expressed in grams of VOC per litre of material less water and less exempt compounds — an important qualifier, because a water-based product's water content is excluded from the calculation. The categories below are those closest to our product lines, transcribed from the rule as amended November 4, 2022. A product is classified by what its label and literature say it can be used for, and a product that claims several specific categories must meet the lowest of their limits.

Category	VOC Limit	Basis and Notes
Contact adhesive	80	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Special purpose contact adhesive	250	g/L, less water and less exempt compoundsDefined in the rule by a specific list of substrates. Read the definition in paragraph (c) before classifying a product here.
Multi-purpose construction adhesive	70	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Dry wall and panel adhesive	50	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Subfloor adhesive	50	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Ceramic, glass, porcelain and stone tile adhesive	65	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Structural glazing adhesive	100	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Wood flooring adhesive	100	g/L, less water and less exempt compoundsTable 1 lists a lower future limit of 20 g/L. Check its effective date in the rule.
Substrate specific — plastic foams	50	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Substrate specific — porous material (except wood)	50	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
All other architectural sealants	50	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
All other sealants	420	g/L, less water and less exempt compoundsTable 1 lists a lower future limit of 250 g/L. Check its effective date in the rule.
One-component foam sealant	18%	percent VOC by weightIn force since July 1, 2023, replacing the earlier 250 g/L limit.
Sealant primer — architectural, non-porous	250	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds
Sealant primer — architectural, porous	775	g/L, less water and less exempt compounds

Aerosol spray adhesives are outside Rule 1168's limits

Rule 1168 sets no VOC limit for aerosol adhesives and adhesive primers in non-refillable cans. Paragraph (j)(2) exempts them from every provision of the rule except the quarterly sales reporting in paragraph (e)(2). Their VOC content is regulated under the California Air Resources Board consumer products regulation instead, so an aerosol spray adhesive sold into California has to be checked against that regulation, not against this table.

Source: SCAQMD Rule 1168 as amended November 4, 2022, full rule text (PDF) ↗

China — GB 33372-2020

GB 33372-2020 is the mandatory Chinese national standard for VOC content in adhesives. It does not give one limit per chemistry. The limits sit in three tables — solvent-based, water-based and bulk (solvent-free) adhesives — and within each table they depend on the polymer type and the application field, so the same chloroprene adhesive has a different limit for building work than for furniture.

The three tables are not on one basis. Tables 1 and 2 are in grams per litre, Table 3 is in grams per kilogram, and each carrier has its own test method. Read the row for the adhesive type and the use it is labelled for, and do not compare figures across tables.

Table 1 — Solvent-based adhesives

Adhesives whose main dispersion medium is a volatile organic solvent. Maximum VOC content in g/L; a dash means the standard sets no limit for that combination.

Application (g/L)	Chloroprene rubber	SBS rubber	Polyurethane	Acrylate	Other
Building	650	550	500	510	500
Interior decoration	600	500	400	510	450
Footwear and bags	600	500	400	—	400
Woodworking and furniture	600	500	400	510	400
Assembly	600	550	250	510	250
Packaging	600	500	400	510	500
Special	850 (a)	—	550 (b)	—	700 (c)
Other	600	500	250	510	250

(a) Field emergency repair. (b) Heavy-duty anti-corrosion. (c) Heat-vulcanised adhesive for vehicle and bridge vibration damping.
Water, acetone, methyl acetate and dimethyl carbonate are deducted from the volatile content when VOC is calculated (Annex A).

Table 2 — Water-based adhesives

Adhesives whose main dispersion medium is water. Maximum VOC content in g/L; a dash means the standard sets no limit for that combination.

Application (g/L)	PVAc	Polyvinyl alcohol	Rubber	Polyurethane	VAE	Acrylate	Other
Building	100	100	150	100	50	100	50
Interior decoration	50	50	100	50	50	50	50
Footwear and bags	50	—	150	50	50	100	50
Woodworking and furniture	100	—	100	50	50	50	50
Transportation	50	—	50	50	50	50	50
Assembly	100	—	100	50	50	50	50
Packaging	50	—	50	50	50	50	50
Other	50	50	50	50	50	50	50

VOC is the sum of the individual volatile organic compounds identified by gas chromatography (Annex D), not total volatiles less water.

Table 3 — Bulk (solvent-free) adhesives

Adhesives with a dispersion medium content of 5% or less — silicone, MS polymer, reactive PU, hot melt and similar. Maximum VOC content in g/kg; a dash means the standard sets no limit for that combination.

Application (g/kg)	Silicone	MS polymer	Polyurethane	Polysulfide	Acrylate	Epoxy	Cyanoacrylate	Thermoplastic	Other
Building	100	100	50	50	—	100	20	50	50
Interior decoration	100	50	50	50	—	50	20	50	50
Footwear and bags	—	50	50	—	—	—	20	50	50
Sanitary products, apparel and fibre processing	—	50	50	—	—	—	—	50	50
Paper converting and bookbinding	—	50	50	—	—	—	—	50	50
Transportation	100	100	50	50	200	100	20	50	50
Assembly	100	100	50	50	200	100	20	50	50
Packaging	100	50	50	—	—	—	—	50	50
Other	100	50	50	50	200	50	20	50	50

MS polymer: adhesives based on silane-modified polymers. Thermoplastic: thermoplastic polyolefin or thermoplastic rubber.
Grams per kilogram. These figures are not on the same basis as Tables 1 and 2 and cannot be compared with them directly.

Rules that change which limit applies

—A product labelled for more than one use must meet the lowest of the applicable limits (5.1.2).
—Individual substances — benzene, toluene and xylene, the listed halogenated hydrocarbons, TDI and free formaldehyde — are limited separately, by GB 30982 for building adhesives and GB 19340 for footwear and bag adhesives (5.1.1).
—The standard does not apply to urea-formaldehyde, phenol-formaldehyde or melamine-formaldehyde adhesives, to adhesives used as intermediates, or to special surface treatment agents used in bonding (section 1).

Source: GB 33372-2020 full text, section 5 and Tables 1-3 (PDF) ↗

European Union — What Actually Applies

There is no EU-wide VOC content limit for adhesives. This surprises buyers, because Directive 2004/42/EC — the Decopaint Directive — is so often quoted in adhesive specifications. Decopaint sets VOC limits for decorative paints, varnishes and vehicle refinishing products. Adhesives are outside its scope.

What governs an adhesive entering the EU isREACH ↗, which restricts particular substances rather than total VOC, plus the CLP regulation for classification and labelling. In practice an EU importer asks for an SVHC declaration and a compliant SDS, not a VOC number — see our guide to REACH compliant adhesive sourcing.

Where a European specification does impose a VOC requirement on adhesives, it is almost always a voluntary emissions scheme rather than a content limit:GEV EMICODE ↗ classes EC1 and EC1 PLUS,Blue Angel ↗ RAL-UZ 113, or the GermanAgBB ↗ evaluation scheme. These measure emissions into indoor air in a test chamber, which is a different property from VOC content in the tin.

If your specification cites Decopaint for an adhesive, go back to the specifier and ask what they actually need — a REACH declaration, an emissions class, or a content figure. The three require different test reports.

Choosing a Compliant Grade

For most exporters the decision reduces to one question: does the destination impose an application-based content limit? If it does — California, and any project written against Rule 1168 or LEED — a solvent-based contact adhesive will not qualify and you need thewater-based grade, or compare water-based options by application. If it does not, and the requirement is REACH or an emissions class, a well-formulated solvent-based grade may still be acceptable.

For a water-based grade, ask for the VOC figure on its TDS together with a test report that names the grade and the method, then check it against the GB 33372-2020 row for its adhesive type and labelled use, or the Rule 1168 category it will be sold under. For the practical trade-offs of switching a production line to water-based chemistry — open time, humidity sensitivity, surface preparation — see ourlow-VOC contact adhesive buyer's guide, and ourcertifications page for the documents to ask for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the EU have a VOC limit for adhesives?

No — not a general one. Directive 2004/42/EC, the Decopaint Directive, is frequently cited for adhesives but it governs decorative paints, varnishes and vehicle refinishing products, not adhesives. What an EU importer actually needs from an adhesive supplier is a REACH SVHC declaration, and for interior and flooring work often a voluntary emissions classification such as GEV EMICODE EC1 PLUS. If a specification tells you an adhesive must meet a Decopaint limit, the specification is quoting the wrong instrument.

What is the difference between VOC content and VOC emissions?

VOC content is how much volatile organic compound is in the product as supplied, measured in grams per litre (or per kilogram for solvent-free adhesives under GB 33372-2020), and it is what SCAQMD Rule 1168 and GB 33372-2020 regulate. VOC emission is how much actually escapes into indoor air after application, measured in micrograms per cubic metre over a defined chamber test period, and it is what EMICODE, Blue Angel and AgBB measure. A product can pass a content limit and still fail an emissions class, or the reverse. Check which one your specification is asking for before requesting documentation.

Why do Chinese solvent-based limits look so much higher than Californian ones?

Because the two instruments are built differently. GB 33372-2020 sets limits by carrier, polymer type and application field together: a solvent-based chloroprene adhesive is limited to 600 g/L for most uses, 650 g/L in building work and 850 g/L for field emergency repair. SCAQMD Rule 1168 sets limits by application — 80 g/L for contact adhesive — and calculates them less water and less exempt compounds, while GB 33372-2020 deducts a different, shorter list of solvents. So do not express one figure as a multiple of the other. The practical conclusion still holds: a conventional solvent-based contact adhesive that complies with GB 33372-2020 will not meet the Rule 1168 contact adhesive limit, and a Californian project needs a different chemistry.

Which document should I ask a Chinese adhesive supplier for?

Ask for three things: an SDS in the language of the destination market, a VOC content test report from an accredited laboratory naming the test method and the exact product grade, and a REACH SVHC statement if you are importing into the EU. A company-level certificate that does not name your grade proves nothing about the product in your container. Check the report date as well; many buyers accept reports that are years out of date.

Does low VOC mean the adhesive is weaker?

Not inherently, but the trade-offs are real. Water-based contact adhesives typically have longer open and drying times than solvent-based equivalents, are sensitive to low temperature and high humidity during cure, and can require more careful surface preparation. Ultimate bond strength on suitable substrates is comparable. The practical cost of switching is usually line speed rather than bond performance.

Working within these limits

The low VOC option for each product line
Contact, spray, shoe, construction and flooring — the route for each and the limit that decides it.
Water-based adhesive options by application
Which water-based chemistry fits which job, and what to recheck when switching from solvent.
Water-based contact adhesive for regulated markets
The usual route to the tighter US and EU limits.
How to specify and source a low-VOC grade
What to ask for, what the test report has to say, and what it will cost you in dry time.
What you trade away moving off solvent
Heat resistance, dry time and porous-substrate strength, quantified.
REACH restricts substances, not total VOC
Why an SVHC declaration and a VOC figure answer different questions.
Interior emissions limits are stricter again
Automotive programmes test emissions into the cabin, not content in the tin.
Furniture and panel adhesive compliance
Where EMICODE and Blue Angel get written into tender specifications.
Review our certifications and test reports
ISO 9001, ISO 14001, REACH statements and SGS reports, and what each one covers.
Put your own brand on it — OEM and ODM
Custom labels, cartons and formulation adjustments from our existing lines.
Eight checks before you pick a supplier
Manufacturer or trader, grade-level test data, VOC position and dangerous-goods handling — apply them to us too.
Get a formulation under your market’s VOC limit
Four routes, including the exempt-compound substitution that keeps solvent-borne performance under a US limit.
Browse the full technical library
Every reference page and guide, grouped by the question it answers rather than by date.
How to read the numbers on a datasheet
What each figure predicts, what it does not, and why one without its test method is not comparable.
Send a specification and get a quote
Substrate, volume and destination market are enough for us to price it.

Need VOC Test Data for Your Market?

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Adhesive &amp; Sealant VOC Limits by Market