Low VOC

Low VOC Adhesives by Product Line

The low VOC option for each adhesive we make, the rule that decides whether it is low enough, and what the claims on a label do and do not prove.

Last updated: 2026-10-12

What counts as a low VOC adhesive

A low VOC adhesive is one whose volatile organic compound content is under the limit a specific rule sets for that adhesive category. There is no universal number: California's SCAQMD Rule 1168 allows 80 g/L for contact adhesive and 50 g/L for subfloor adhesive, China's GB 33372-2020 sets limits by carrier, polymer and application together, and the EU sets no general content limit for adhesives.

Most low VOC adhesives are water-based, but the two are not the same claim, and each product line reaches a low figure by a different route. The table below sets out the route for each one. For the limits themselves seeVOC limits by market.

Low VOC options by product line

Some of these are listed grades and others are applications we assess per enquiry. Each linked page states which, and what it needs from you.

Product line	Low VOC option	What decides whether it is low enough
Contact adhesive	Water-based polychloroprene contact adhesive, with VOC below 50 g/L stated on the grade TDS.	SCAQMD Rule 1168 contact adhesive: 80 g/L. China GB 33372-2020 water-based rubber: 50-150 g/L by application.
Spray adhesive for foam and upholstery	Water-based acrylic, polychloroprene or polyurethane dispersion, supplied in bulk for spray systems. Our listed aerosol grades are solvent-borne.	Bulk-applied adhesive on foam: Rule 1168 plastic foams category, 50 g/L. Aerosol cans are outside Rule 1168's limits and fall under the California consumer products regulation instead.
Shoe adhesive	Water-based polyurethane dispersion, run as a system with primer or halogenation, hardener and heat activation.	Usually a brand chemical requirement rather than a content limit. China GB 33372-2020, footwear and bags: 50 g/L for water-based polyurethane against 400 g/L for solvent-based.
Construction and flooring adhesive	Water-based acrylic dispersion for resilient flooring, carpet tile and interior mounting.	Rule 1168: multi-purpose construction 70 g/L, subfloor 50 g/L, dry wall and panel 50 g/L.
Labels, tapes, paper, wood and textile	Water-based acrylic and other dispersions, chosen by coating or assembly process.	Depends on the application row in the rule. Start from the limits reference and the process, not from the polymer.
PU foam sealant	Not a water-based product. The figure to ask for is the grade’s VOC as a percentage by weight.	Rule 1168 one-component foam sealant: 18% VOC by weight.

Rule 1168 figures are grams of VOC per litre less water and less exempt compounds unless stated, last verified 2026-09-15. A product is classified by what its label says it can be used for, so confirm the category with whoever wrote your specification.

Low VOC, zero VOC, water-based, low odour: six different claims

These terms are used as if they were interchangeable. They are not, and none of them implies another. Match the claim to the requirement you have to meet, then ask for the document in the last column.

Claim	What it means	What proves it
Low VOC	The measured VOC content, in grams per litre, is under a limit written for a named market and adhesive category.	TDS figure plus a test report naming the grade, the method and the rule.
Zero VOC	A marketing term. None of the adhesive rules on this site defines it; it is typically used for products measuring under about 5 g/L.	The measured figure. Treat the phrase itself as unverified.
Water-based	The carrier is water. Small amounts of coalescing solvent are common, so VOC content is low but not automatically zero.	SDS composition. A VOC figure is still needed.
Solvent-free	No carrier at all: a hot-melt or reactive system at 100% solids.	SDS composition, and a check that your line can apply it.
Low odour	A sensory description, not a measurement. No VOC content rule uses it, and a solvent can smell strongly without counting as VOC, as acetone does under US rules.	Nothing, unless an odour test such as VDA 270 is named.
Low emission	What the cured product releases into indoor air over days, measured in a test chamber.	A certificate such as EMICODE or GREENGUARD issued to the named product.

When water-based does not suit the bond

Water-based grades suit porous materials such as wood, fabric, leather and foam. On metal, glass and FRP, and where the bond sees heat, they usually fall short, and they dry more slowly on any line. That does not end the low VOC question. A solvent-borne adhesive can be brought toward a limit with a high-solids formulation, or under a US limit by substituting solvents the rule excludes from its calculation, and a solvent-free system removes the carrier altogether.

Which of those applies depends on the rule you are held to. Ourlow-VOC manufacturing pagesets out the four routes and what each costs in performance. If the work is contact adhesive specifically, thelow VOC contact adhesive buyer's guidecovers test methods and supplier documents in detail.

Automotive interior work is a separate case: the tests there measure emissions from the finished part, not content in the tin. Seeautomotive interior adhesives.

Frequently asked questions

What is a low VOC adhesive?

A low VOC adhesive is one whose volatile organic compound content is under the limit set by a specific rule for a specific adhesive category. There is no universal number. SCAQMD Rule 1168 allows 80 g/L for contact adhesive and 50 g/L for subfloor adhesive, China GB 33372-2020 sets limits by carrier, polymer and application together, and the EU sets no general content limit for adhesives. So "low VOC" only means something once the rule, the category and the test method are named.

Is low VOC the same as zero VOC?

No. Low VOC is a measured figure under a named limit. Zero VOC is a marketing term that none of the adhesive rules on this site defines, typically used for products measuring under about 5 g/L. A water-based adhesive usually still contains a small amount of coalescing solvent, so ask for the measured figure rather than accepting the phrase.

Is a water-based adhesive always low VOC?

No. Water-based describes the carrier, not the VOC result. Many water-based adhesives contain small amounts of coalescing solvent, so VOC content is low but not automatically zero, and whether it meets a limit depends on the market and the adhesive category the limit is written for. The reverse also holds: a solvent-borne adhesive can meet a US limit by using exempt solvents.

Does low odour mean low VOC?

No. Odour is a sensory description and no VOC content rule measures it. Acetone has a strong smell and is excluded from the US VOC calculation, while some regulated solvents are far less noticeable. If odour itself is the requirement, as it is for automotive interiors, it has its own test such as VDA 270.

Are aerosol spray adhesives covered by SCAQMD Rule 1168?

Not by its VOC limits. Rule 1168 exempts aerosol adhesives in non-refillable cans from everything except quarterly sales reporting, and their VOC content is regulated under the California Air Resources Board consumer products regulation instead. Spray adhesive applied in bulk through a gun is a different case and does fall under Rule 1168.

Can a low VOC adhesive be used for automotive interiors?

It is a sensible starting point, but a low content figure is not what interior specifications test. They test what the finished part emits: VDA 278 for VOC and FOG, VDA 277 for total carbon, DIN 75201 for fogging and VDA 270 for odour. An adhesive has to be qualified on your own part against the tests your customer names.

Which PACT product lines have a low VOC option?

Contact adhesive has a listed water-based grade with VOC below 50 g/L on its TDS. Foam and upholstery spraying, shoe sole bonding, flooring and installation, and label, tape, paper, wood and textile work each have a water-based route; some are listed grades and others are assessed per enquiry, and each option page states which. Where a water-based route does not suit the bond, a solvent-borne grade can be reformulated toward a named limit.

From the claim to a grade you can order

Check the VOC limit for your destination market
Which instrument actually governs adhesives in the US, EU and China — and which ones are wrongly cited.
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.
Sourcing low VOC contact adhesive, step by step
Test methods, the three documents to ask for and the red flags in a supplier’s VOC claim.
Water-based options by application
Labels, tapes, foam, footwear, wood and packaging — which chemistry fits which job.
The listed water-based contact adhesive
VOC below 50 g/L on the grade TDS, for porous substrates.
What you trade away moving off solvent
Dry time, heat resistance and substrate range, compared side by side.
Toluene-free, benzene-free and what replaces them
A substance exclusion is a different requirement from a VOC limit — this covers the first.
Interior emissions are tested on the finished part
VDA 278, VDA 277 and DIN 75201, and why a content figure does not answer them.
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.
Send a specification and get a quote
Substrate, volume and destination market are enough for us to price it.

Tell us the adhesive and the rule

Name the product line, the substrates and the limit or specification you are held to. We will tell you whether an existing grade clears it or which route gets there.

Send a technical enquiry Check the limit for your market