Exilva® for
Caulks & Sealants

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Bio-based rheology for smoother application and reliable performance

Caulks and sealants must combine easy application, stable viscosity, and consistent performance across changing temperatures.
Exilva®, Borregaard's microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), helps formulators achieve all three.

With strong shear-thinning behaviour and excellent formulation stability, Exilva improves workability during application while maintaining sag resistance, storage stability, and long-term performance.

LOWER APPLICATION PRESSURE 

Strong shear-thinning behaviour allows easier extrusion and noticeably smoother application.

IMPROVED COLD-WEATHER WORKABILITY

Maintain application performance even at lower temperatures where conventional rheology systems may struggle.

REDUCE RELIANCE ON SYNTHETIC ADDITIVES

Exilva enables replacement of conventional synthetic rheology modifiers while contributing additional performance benefits.

ADD RENEWABLE CONTENT

Produced from wood-based cellulose, Exilva helps increase bio-based content while delivering measurable formulation improvements.

Faster extrusion at room and low temperatures

Testing shows that Exilva significantly improves extrusion rate without reducing storage stability.

Extrusion rate measured as grams extruded per minute at 3 bar pressure:

Temperature Improvement
22°C (Room temperature) +48%
4°C (Refrigerator temperature) +23%

Faster extrusion translates into smoother application and reduced effort for end users, particularly in colder environments where many sealants become difficult to apply.

Easier application without sacrificing stability

Many sealants become difficult to extrude as temperatures drop. Exilva helps maintain smooth application across a wider temperature range by reducing viscosity under high shear while preserving the structure needed for storage stability and sag control.

The result is a sealant that is easier to apply, yet remains stable in the cartridge.

Strong shear-thinning performance

Exilva creates a highly efficient rheology profile:

  • High viscosity at rest for storage stability
  • Lower viscosity during application
  • Fast recovery after extrusion
  • Consistent performance across temperatures

This allows formulators to improve workability while maintaining the performance characteristics required in professional sealant applications.

Extrusion speed drives installer productivity

The most expensive part of a sealant is not the cartridge itself – it's the labor required to apply it. Small differences in extrudability can translate into slower installation speeds, greater installer effort, higher rework rates, and reduced productivity on site. 

The most significant cost is often the least visible: lost installation time. Even modest improvements in extrusion performance can translate into meaningful productivity gains across large production volumes and thousands of installations:

Parameter Typical value
Extrudability improvement + 48%
Time saved per cartridge ~ 21 sec
Medium producer output 10M cartridges
Potential productivity gain ~ 58,000 hours

 Material cost per cartridge is typically only a fraction of the total installed cost. Improving application efficiency impacts the most expensive part of the system: labor.

How Exilva works

Microfibrillated cellulose technology

Exilva consists of a network of cellulose microfibrils that creates viscosity and structure throughout the formulation.
Under shear, this network temporarily aligns and allows easier flow. Once the shear force is removed, the network rebuilds rapidly.

This unique behaviour enables:

  • Easy application
  • Good sag resistance
  • Long-term viscosity stability
  • Reliable performance throughout storage and use

Ready to Evaluate Exilva?

Whether your goal is improved workability, better low-temperature performance, reduced synthetic additive use, or increased renewable content, Exilva offers a versatile solution for modern sealant formulations.

Request a sample or speak with our technical team to discuss your formulation challenges: