Ammonia in water-based table tennis glues

[haggisv]

Some of the popular water-based glues (eg DHS No15) have a distinct ammonia smell. I don't know if they use ammonia as some sort of preservative, or perhaps to lower the freezing point of the glue (most glues are ruined if they freeze), but clearly there is a reason for it.
The ITTF effectively 'banned' the use of glues with VOCs for health reasons, which is why all manufacturers have changed to water-based glues. I believe that technically ammonia is not a VOC because it's an in-organic compound (not organic which is that the "O" in VOC stands for), but clearly it's not a healthy chemical, and I don't know if the ENEZ at a tournament would pick ammonia as a VOC. Personally it would not bother me, since ammonia is a common household chemical, and the amount you could potentially inhale from glueing a bat would be very very small. Still, the chance that it would not pass an enez test is worth knowing I think, just in case some of us play at these types of tournaments.

Does anyone know if ammonia in a water-based glue could class your bat in a tournament as 'illegal'?

 

[dingyibvs]

Ammonia is fine since it's not a VOC, and you can rest assured DHS #15 will be fine since that's all the CNT uses.

 

[lodro]

Ammonia is fine since it's not a VOC, and you can rest assured DHS #15 will be fine since that's all the CNT uses.

indeed and of course the ammonia evaporates with the water and what is left is sealed and dry inside the glue.

 

[haggisv]

and of course the ammonia evaporates with the water and what is left is sealed and dry inside the glue.

That is true, but that's true of VOC glues as well though

 

[lodro]

That is true, but that's true of VOC glues as well though

Wow, that IS true, so how do the sniffer machines track it at racket testing time ?
There must be plenty of residual vapors left i assume ?

 

[Tyce]

I know my nose isn't that good but I have not once smelled ammonia on DHS 15... I found mine to be the least odourous glue I've had yet. (it's a 98ml squeeze tube)

 

[enoxzr]

I've recently encountered the same smell on a cheap Chinese AliExpress glue, white bottle / dark blue cap. And it too struck me as odd, especially since I didn't smell it at first, I thought the glue went bad....

My previous glues from Donic and Tibhar didnt have this smell, which made it even more weird for me.

 

[Zwill]

I also don't smell any ammonia from DHS No15 nor from Sueke nor from the German made glues.
If my memory is right Finezip also doesn't smell like that.

 

[lodro]

I know my nose isn't that good but I have not once smelled ammonia on DHS 15... I found mine to be the least odourous glue I've had yet. (it's a 98ml squeeze tube)

maybe the glue in the tubes does not contain ammonia but the 500ml bottle sure does. Maybe it is the infamous DHS inconsistency 😁

 

[Zwill]

maybe the glue in the tubes does not contain ammonia but the 500ml bottle sure does. Maybe it is the infamous DHS inconsistency 😁

I had 500ml bottle, no ammonia smell either 🤔

 

[ttarc]

I also don't smell any ammonia from DHS No15 nor from Sueke nor from the German made glues.
If my memory is right Finezip also doesn't smell like that.

Finezip contains ammonia... https://www.nittaku.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/515.pdf
E-Zip from Nittaku does not: https://www.nittaku.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/6420bf9c94ff2f73f373124c13516b84.pdf

Andro Pro Glue did not have this ammonia smell afair but contains https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzisothiazolinone

 

[zeio]

The ammonia is used to increase the pH of the latex in water-based glue to prevent coagulation.

For more:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-ammoni...ing-the-mechanical-stability-time-of-NR-latex

 

[Sims]

Some of the popular water-based glues (eg DHS No15) have a distinct ammonia smell. I don't know if they use ammonia as some sort of preservative, or perhaps to lower the freezing point of the glue (most glues are ruined if they freeze), but clearly there is a reason for it.
The ITTF effectively 'banned' the use of glues with VOCs for health reasons, which is why all manufacturers have changed to water-based glues. I believe that technically ammonia is not a VOC because it's an in-organic compound (not organic which is that the "O" in VOC stands for), but clearly it's not a healthy chemical, and I don't know if the ENEZ at a tournament would pick ammonia as a VOC. Personally it would not bother me, since ammonia is a common household chemical, and the amount you could potentially inhale from glueing a bat would be very very small. Still, the chance that it would not pass an enez test is worth knowing I think, just in case some of us play at these types of tournaments.

Does anyone know if ammonia in a water-based glue could class your bat in a tournament as 'illegal'?

Ammonia is not defined as Volatile as regards it's reaction with sponge. It doesn't react with the sponge in any way that changes the elastic properties of the sponge, as far as I can tell anyway, so maybe that's why it's not on the banned list?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I used a few DHS no15 500ml bottles
don't recall much smell

 

[Zwill]

I used a few DHS no15 500ml bottles
don't recall much smell

Right, if anything it has a "pleasant" sweet smell, but not strong and not disgusting. But I wouldn't recommend anyone to sniff it much.

 

[WingTT]

If you don't smell ammonia in your latex glue, it could be stabilized by some other chemical for example Donic Formula First. If you don't smell ammonia in an ammonia stabilized glue, it's a warning sign the glue may curdle and fail when you apply it.

 

[igorponger]

We like ice cream very much. 🍦🍦🍦🍦

Most china glues proved unusable as having overly runny consistence. We were advised by a learned rubber technologist of how to get latex milk less runny, similar to ice cream. This is what happened as a result. The best usable adhesive ever.

Yes, ammonia liquid is to prevent a natural latex sap from decomposing in open air. The specific strong odour will totally fade in a hour.

Be happy all.