What are HexiTherm™ Adhesives?

HexiTherm Adhesives are a family of products specifically developed by Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc. to provide superior heat performance for today’s engineered wood applications. Utilizing state-of-the-art thermosetting and emulsion technologies, HexiTherm products are thermally stable under the most rigorous conditions.

Manufacturers of I-joists, glulam beams, finger-jointed studs and engineered wood doors bonded with HexiTherm adhesives can be confident in their products’ fire resistance, and in many cases, their interchangeability with solid sawn lumber under high heat.

How are HexiTherm Adhesives different from other products on the market?

HexiTherm Adhesives meet or exceed the highest heat and fire resistance standards in the wood products industry. They are certified, for example, by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) as Heat Resistant Adhesives (HRAs) for finger-jointed stud applications. They have also been tested and comply with specifications for 45-, 60- and 90 minute fire-rated doors.

HexiTherm Adhesives are a family of products so manufacturers have a broad range of technology options, from phenolic and melamine-based chemistries for critical structural applications to PVAs with high emulsied phenolic content for fire doors and specialty applications.

Regardless of which product manufacturers choose, Hexion offers extensive technical support capabilities to optimize adhesive performance.

Why are HexiTherm Adhesives important?

The heat performance of I-joists, glulam beams, finger-jointed studs and engineered wood doors has come under increased scrutiny in the last several years. The impetus for more rigorous oversight has come from firefighters and various North American building code agencies increasingly concerned with fire safety as a result of catastrophic events such as 9/11. This has led industry standards organizations such as WIJMA, the AWC, the ALSC and the CLSAB to conduct adhesive testing and propose more rigorous heat performance certification protocols.

The issue is trust and confidence. Engineered wood products have been embraced by the building industry over the past several decades because they have been shown to outperform conventional lumber in a variety of ways including in strength, stability and ease-of-use. Maximum interchangeability with solid sawn lumber under high heat is essential to the value proposition of these products.

HexiTherm Adhesives allow manufacturers, builders, fire professionals and consumers to be confident that when it comes to fire conditions, HexiTherm bonded building products will meet the highest heat resistance standards and perform like conventional lumber.

What are the benefits of HexiTherm?

As mentioned above, HexiTherm Adhesives allow manufacturers and their customers to get all the benefits of engineered wood and maximum interchangeably in heat performance with solid lumber.

Engineered lumber has seen steady market share acceptance and growth over the past several decades because it has promised benefits over solid sawn lumber along with this interchangeability in fire performance. HexiTherm adhesives reinforce this value proposition.

By using HexiTherm adhesives, manufacturers send a clear, unequivocal message to contractors, architects and local code authorities that their products have passed the most severe heat and fire performance tests.

What are some examples of HexiTherm Adhesives?

The HexiTherm Adhesive family comprises a broad range of technologies for use in I-joists, glulam beams, finger-jointed studs and engineered wood doors.

HexiTherm Adhesives for I-joists and Glue-laminated Lumber

• “Gold standard” phenol-resorcinol and phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde-based systems
• Range of catalysts to fit individual plant conditions
• For wet or dry use exposure

HexiTherm Adhesives for Finger-jointed Studs

• Unique, high solids, melamine-based systems that meet Method A requirements of new ALSC standards
• Phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde systems that also carry a Heat Resistant Adhesive (HRA) designation per Method A
• Radio frequency curable melamine-resorcinol-formaldehyde (MRF) system that has been certified as an HRA per Method A testing
  

HexiTherm Adhesives for Door Applications

• Cross-linked polyvinyl acetate (PVA) systems
• Both one and two component systems with emulsified phenolic content available for various fire-rating requirements
• Heat and ambient cure formulas

Why choose HexiTherm from Hexion?

If you want your engineered wood products to meet or exceed the highest industry standards for fire and heat performance – and perform like solid sawn under the most rigorous conditions – HexiTherm Adhesives are the answer. When contractors, architects and local code authorities see the HexiTherm name, they can have trust and confidence in the fire performance of the engineered wood products they’re using or certifying. As a result, manufacturers can have trust and confidence that their HexiTherm bonded products will be accepted in the marketplace.

Like all Hexion products, HexiTherm Adhesives come with extensive technical support. Complete HexiTherm service programs include visits by our technical field staff to review your site specific requirements, assistance with product specification and process optimization and equipment recommendations for using our adhesives.

At Hexion, we make it as hassle-free as possible.

What if I have additional questions?

For more information about HexiTherm Adhesives, contact your Hexion representative or call:
Dan Allen (+1 336 423 8688),
Greg Clark (+1 630 400 9820) or
Scott McIntyre (+1 541 517 3433)
Tom Tanner (+1 920 819 6448)