Welcome to our annual Raw Materials, Chemicals, Polymers and Additives Handbook. As in previous years, this year’s handbook has been updated with many new products and definitions. The listings are divided into five major categories: Additives and Chemical Specialties; Oils and Fatty Acids; Resins and Base Polymers; Pigments and Dyes, Dry/Dispersions and Extenders; and Solvents.

The directory is set up with a definition for each material, followed by the names of suppliers that provide the material.* Products are listed alphabetically under each category and subcategory. Use this handy guide to find suppliers throughout the year, and be sure to also take a look at the fully searchable handbook online at http://directories.adhesivesmag.com/materialshandbook.

While our staff made every effort to contact the entire community of materials suppliers to our industry, we may have inadvertently missed some. If you are a materials supplier and would like to be included, please contact Peg Van Winkle at (614) 781-6462 or email vanwinklep@bnpmedia.com for pricing and additional details.

In addition to the handbook, this issue also features an article detailing glutaraldehyde, a biocide that finds use in many different industries, including adhesives and sealants. A troubling trend has arisen, however, as low-cost counterfeit formulations are being sold as including genuine glutaraldehyde. “The most common substitute for these counterfeit formulations is formaldehyde,” writes Dow Microbial Control’s Heather McGinley. “This substitution alters the environmental and handling profiles of the product. It also means that the producers of this counterfeit product are charging buyers for glutaraldehyde, but selling a much less expensive product.”

To make matters worse, it can be difficult to ascertain if a formulation contains genuine glutaraldehyde or a counterfeit ingredient. Learn more about the various issues surrounding this material by reading Glutaraldehyde Uses and Counterfeits in this issue. Be sure to also visit the podcast page and listen to my interview with McGinley.