What Is in Titebond Wood Glue?

Titebond began as a wood glue brand. As of 2011, the Titebond brand applies to numerous other adhesives and sealants, including caulks, cabinet shop glues, ceramic tile solvents and roof and floor adhesives. Each of the 14 types of wood glue available from Titebond in 2011 contains different ingredients.

The ingredients in a type of Titebond wood glue depend on the purpose of that glue. For example, Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue contains different ingredients than Titebond Original Wood Glue because Titebond III creates a stronger bond than the original. Titebond Dark bonds with materials like leather, hardwood and particleboard, necessitating a different chemical composition than No-Drip, No-Run, which is designed specifically to dry quickly to avoid dripping.

Ingredients found in Titebond wood glues include polyvinyl acetate, in Original Wood Glue and Premium Wood Glue; diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, in Ultimate Wood Glue; polymethylenepolyphenyl isocyanate, in Polyurethane Glue; N-methylolacrylamide, in Premium Wood Glue; and paraffinic oil, in Original Wood Glue. Additional ingredients found in more than one type of Titebond wood glue include water, vinyl alcohol and aluminum chloride.

The Titebond company is obligated to publish only the names of potentially hazardous chemicals in its glues; all other ingredients remain trade secrets of the company. Information on toxic ingredients appears on the Material Safety Data Sheet for each product, available for free download from the Titebond website. Online resource Whatsinproducts.com provides ingredient information for numerous products, though it posts only partial chemical ingredient information.

While the Titebond brand holds no legal obligation to print full ingredient lists for its wood glues or any other product, it must publish information on any hazards chemical ingredients pose. The chemicals in Titebond Ultimate Good Glue, for instance, may cause irritation, redness, dryness and cracking of the skin, irritation and watering of the eyes and irritation in the respiratory system. They also can also induce coughing fits. You can find information on potential hazards on Material Safety Data Sheets and on product labels.