PL ASTI C S AD D I T I V E S

Acrylic Additives for

Vinyl Resilient Flooring

Version March 2021

Vinyl Resilient Flooring applications
Consumers, retailers and building contractors continually seek
new solutions to improve the performance, durability, and value
of vinyl resilient flooring. In this growing market segment, the
offering needs to be easy to install, low maintenance, durable,
cost effective and aesthetically pleasing.
Vinyl resilient flooring products can be split into two families:
Homogeneous - Typically a vinyl sheet with one PVC layer.
There are limited possibilities for design and color.
Heterogeneous – Constructed of different layers. The
combination of layers allows wide ranging designs, quality, and
performance in terms of dimensional stability, wear protection,
acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, decorative options, etc.
This literature will focus on additives for the heterogeneous
family of vinyl resilient flooring.

Vinyl Resilient Flooring technologies

Vinyl films and sheets are mainly produced on calendering and extrusion lines, as well as coating lines. Multiple layers can be
laminated together under heat and pressure, in combination with a design, a printed film layer and a transparent PVC wear layer.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

Installation of LVT flooring requires careful preparation of the UV coating
subfloor to avoid the finished flooring taking on the shape of Wear layer
any imperfections. LVT flooring can be installed by gluing or Decorative/print layer
by solid-locking. Foam core/rigid core layer
Base layer

Stone Plastic Composite (SPC)

When a combination of high rigidity and dimensional stability UV layer
is required, SPC flooring is the most appropriate choice. SPC Wear layer
flooring can be installed relatively easily on uneven subfloor by Color films
clicking into place, without glue.
SPC core

Foam or cork (optional)

Waterproof Core (WPC)*

Widely used in residential areas, WPC flooring, provides good
Wear layer
dimensional stability with very high scratch resistance. Layers
can be bonded together through heat and pressure, or with glue. Decorative print film
No floor preparation is required. WPC flooring can be easily
installed on uneven subfloors by clicking into place without glue. Vinyl top layer
* previously named Wood Plastic Composite flooring

Extruded rigid core

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Innovative solutions for improved manufacturing and product
performance of Vinyl Resilient Flooring
PARALOID™ and SURECEL™ Acrylic Processing Aids, PARALOID™ K-175 ER Polymeric Lubricant enables excellent
along with PARALOID™ Polymeric Lubricants and hot metal release during PVC processing.
PARALOID™ Acrylic Impact Modifiers from Dow Plastics Typically, flooring produced by SPC and WPC technologies,
Additives offer innovative yet cost effective solutions for the requires improved flexibility of the clip parts.
performance needs of all vinyl resilient flooring applications PARALOID ™ KM-376L Impact Modifier contributes to the
and technologies. impact strength necessary in a high-quality end product.
A combination of a high molecular weight Processing Aid, SURECEL™ 466 ER ultra high molecular weight Acrylic
such as PARALOID™ K-125 ER and a Polymeric Lubricant, Processing Aid, significantly improves melt strength and melt
such as PARALOID™ K-175 ER, may be used in the different elongation, as well as increases melt elasticity, during PVC
PVC based layers, for LVT, SPC and WPC products and processing of foamed PVC based backing layers, allowing a
contributes to excellent processability of PVC formulations high expansion ratio (low foam density) and homogeneous
with high filler content, and where an improved resistance fine cell structure to be reached for optimum properties of
of the melt is required. the foamed layers.
PARALOID™ K-125 ER Processing Aid improves the filler
dispersion in the PVC matrix, leading to an enhanced melt
homogeneity. Melt strength and melt elongation are also
significantly improved during PVC processing.

PARALOID™ K-185 ER Polymeric Lubricant, offers outstanding performance in PVC based layers with high filler content. It will
prevent the melt sticking on hot metal surfaces of the equipment, even at high temperatures, whilst providing a good surface finish.

Efficiency; up to 30% more efficient Effectiveness; up to twice as effective

Optimized cost performance PVC formulation Facilitate processing at high temperature

Time to stick @ 215°C

Anti-sticking performance during processing @ 190°C
PARALOID™
0 900 K-175 ER
seconds seconds [1,5phr]

PARALOID™
PARALOID™ K-175 ER K-185 ER
[0,6phr] [1,5phr]

PARALOID™ K-185 ER 0 300 600

[0,4phr] Processing time (seconds)
These are typical properties and should not be construed as specifications

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Which additives for your Vinyl Resilient Flooring application?
Dow Plastics Additives offers innovative solutions for all Vinyl Resilient Flooring technologies.
A combination of different Dow additives exhibits excellent yet cost-effective performance during processing and end-use.

Acrylic processing aid Key features Key benefits

PARALOID™ K-125 ER • Improves dispersion and melt homogeneity
High Mw • Extends the processing window
• Increase melt strength and melt elongation
• Provides excellent balance of quality
• Increases melt elasticity and performance
• Reduces melt fracture
• Improves surface finish of foamed
SURECEL™ 466 ER As above and also, PVC layers with high filler content
Ultra high Mw Improved cell structure of foamed PVC layers
• Contributes to weight reduction

Polymeric lubricant
PARALOID™ K-175 ER • Provides excellent hot metal release • Extends the processing window
• Improves surface finish of foamed
PARALOID™ K-185 ER • Provides outstanding hot metal release PVC layers with high filler content
Acrylic impact modifier
PARALOID™ KM-376L • Provides excellent impact strength • Allows excellent flexibility for clip parts

These are typical properties and should not be construed as specifications

Note: except otherwise expressly specified, the graph and tables presented in this document originate from internal studies conducted by Dow in 2018.

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