While much of the industrial adhesives market was still grappling with what sustainability truly meant, TOPCORE was already taking action. Driven by evolving European legislation, shifting customer expectations, and our own core values, we embarked on a bold mission: to develop adhesives free from borax—a compound long used in industrial formulations, but now recognized for its environmental and health risks.
1. Why We Committed to Green Innovation
Our decision wasn’t just a response to market demand—although interest from Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium was steadily increasing. The real tipping point came with stricter REACH regulations, which officially classified boron compounds, including borax, as substances of concern.
Regulatory Reference: REACH Directive on Trisodium Tetraborate
The strongest pressure came from food-grade applications, where manufacturers are held to the highest standards of product safety. Gradually, demand for borax-free formulations began to spread across other segments as well.
“In Europe, sustainability is sometimes seen as an abstract ideal—but instead of fighting regulations, we chose to innovate and build better solutions.”
2. The Borax Challenge – And Our Path Forward
Borax has traditionally played a vital role in adhesives—offering thickening, stabilization, and improved adhesion. And it worked well. But it also posed potential health risks for both production workers and end-users.
Replacing borax was no simple task. Most alternatives couldn’t match its performance, and raw material costs increased. Still, we eventually developed successful boron-free formulations that delivered without compromise.
Note: The precise formulation remains confidential as part of our proprietary know-how.
3. Developing Borax-Free Adhesives: Iteration and Innovation
The R&D process was intense. We tested countless iterations in our lab, often through trial and error. We wanted to find the limit—how far could we push adhesive performance while staying borax-free?
Yes, there were setbacks. Some formulas failed outright. Others were too acidic or chemically unstable. But we persisted.
Today, we offer two functional borax-free formulations. While they are more costly, they meet the highest safety and sustainability standards.
4. What Does This Mean for Our Customers?
Advantages of Borax-Free Adhesives:
- Reduced environmental impact—fewer hazardous substances in the product and waste stream
- Improved workplace safety—safer for production personnel
- Compliance with REACH—crucial for Western European exports
- Eligibility for food-grade applications—with the strictest safety requirements
Trade-offs:
- Higher production costs—due to raw materials and process complexity
- Slightly different performance characteristics—e.g., higher pH or longer drying time in some variants
Currently, we supply borax-free adhesives to a small but growing client base. Additional partners are actively testing our formulations—and early results are very promising.
5. Market Impact and Product Development
While we haven’t yet seen large-scale exports, indicators show positive momentum:
- Increasing interest in BX-free adhesives and additives
- Growing customer interest in our BLENDECO sustainable adhesive line
- New versions under development for paper honeycomb applications
- Biodegradability tests show 80–90% degradation rates for selected formulas
- We’ve secured a utility model (patent equivalent) for one of our recipes
6. What’s Next?
Our commitment to sustainability is ongoing. Future developments include:
- Adhesives with minimal or zero formaldehyde content—targeted at chipboard and wood-based applications
- Compostable and fully biodegradable adhesives—delivering both performance and environmental compliance
Interested in borax-free solutions or sustainable adhesive development?
Explore our latest adhesive technologies and innovations.
