Use the search box to find information on the chemicals that are essential to the products you use every day.
Vinyl acetate or vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is primarily used as a monomer in the production of other chemicals used in various industrial and consumer product applications.
A monomer is a molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules to form a polymer.
VAM-based polymers, including vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl acetate (PVA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), are used in a variety of applications.
When polymers are made using VAM, the vinyl acetate used in their manufacture is completely consumed, which means that there is only residual if any potential exposure to VAM itself in these products.
Vinyl Acetate Hazards
VAM is highly flammable and may be ignited by heat, sparks, or flames. The Vinyl Acetate Council, which represents VAM manufacturers, has published a safe handling guide to provide guidance on the safe use of vinyl acetate in facilities where it is manufactured, as well as transporting and storing vinyl acetate.
Consumer Exposure
Consumers may come into contact with some of the polymers made from VAM noted in the “Uses and Benefits” section above, such as glues and paints, but exposures are expected to be very low. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that vinyl acetate may be safely used as a coating in plastic films for food packaging, and as a food starch modifier.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry states that studies have shown that once ingested by nose or mouth, vinyl acetate is quickly distributed through the body and removed. It breaks down quickly and leaves the body through the breath. Small amounts will also leave the body through urine and waste.
Industrial Exposure
In industrial settings workers are protected from exposure to vinyl acetate with equipment design, protective gear and monitoring. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set specific limits for worker exposure to vinyl acetate that manufacturers must abide by.
Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of workers to vinyl acetate in facilities where it is manufactured can result in eye irritation and upper respiratory tract irritation. Chronic (long-term) occupational exposure has not been shown to result in any severe adverse effects in workers; some instances of upper respiratory tract irritation, cough and/or hoarseness were reported. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not classified vinyl acetate for carcinogenicity in humans.
Vinyl acetate or vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is a versatile building block chemical used to manufacture polymers that are used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications.
Primarily, vinyl acetate is used as a monomer in the production of polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl alcohol. Vinyl acetate is also used as a raw material in the production of other chemicals, in adhesives, water-based paints, nonwoven textile fibers, and paper coatings.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that there is no evidence vinyl acetate causes cancer in humans. Animal studies have shown mixed results—one study showed an increase in tumors of the noses of rats who breathed in vinyl acetate, and another did not show an increase in tumors in the rats who drank water containing the chemical.
VOCs are compounds that have high vapor pressure and low water solubility, and many are man-made chemicals used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. The VOCs of polyethylene vinyl acetate plastic are toxic to living organisms or animals.
