KURARAY POVAL™ – Frequently asked questions

KURARAY POVAL™ is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH, PVA, poval) resin used in a wide range of applications, including paper, adhesives, textiles, and packaging. It features the unique abilityto dissolve in water and offers excellent film-forming, emulsifying, and adhesive properties.

KURARAY POVAL™ is generally used in the form of an aqueous solution.

How to dissolve KURARAY POVAL™:
To prepare a solution, add KURARAY POVAL™ to water and heat the mixture until it dissolves. Either direct steam injection or indirect heating via a jacket can be used as the heat source. Dissolution is complete once no PVOH particles remain visible in the solution.

Because fully hydrolyzed and partially hydrolyzed grades behave differently, the dissolution procedures vary slightly.

1)  Fully hydrolyzed grades
Add KURARAY POVAL™ to water at room temperature while stirring.
Maintain good agitation and begin heating.
After the temperature reaches approximately 95°C, continue heating for about 60 minutes, during which dissolution will be completed.

2)  Partially hydrolyzed grades
Because partially hydrolyzed grades dissolve readily in cold water, they tend to form large lumps or gels during addition.
To avoid this, keep the water temperature below 25°C during charging and add the polymer slowly while stirring thoroughly.
Continue sufficient agitation after addition, then raise the temperature.
Once the solution reaches 93–95°C, maintain heating for 30–60 minutes to complete dissolution.

In line with Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2055, which sets definitions and defines testing methods for synthetic polymer microparticles, we have tested our products. In accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2055 Appendix 16, KURARAY POVAL™ with a solubility of more than 2 g/L are exempted from the synthetic polymer microparticles definition.

KURARAY POVAL™ is available in a wide range of viscosity grades, typically from approximately 3 mPa·s to 225 mPa·s (measured as a 4% aqueous solution at 20°C).
This allows customers to choose the grade that best fits their specific application needs.

KURARAY POVAL™ is offered in a broad range of degrees of hydrolysis, generally including low‑hydrolyzed grades (approx. 70–80 mol%), partially hydrolyzed grades (approx. 87–89 mol%), intermediately hydrolyzed grades (approx. 92–96 mol%), and fully hydrolyzed grades (approx. 98–99 mol%).
The degree of hydrolysis is an important parameter that affects the solubility of the resin as well as the film properties.

Yes, KURARAY POVAL™ is inherently biodegradable* in an aqueous soution form.

* Inherently biodegradable: The property by which the material itself is ultimately broken down into water and carbon dioxide by naturally occurring microorganisms, without the need for special conditions or additives.

1. Since KURARAY POVAL™ dissolves in water, please store in a dry place where it will not be exposed to rain or moisture.
2. The product can absorb moisture and form lumps, so avoid storing in areas with high temperature and humidity. 

For details, please refer to the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each grade available on this page.