MS polymer vs polyurethane parquet adhesive
Updated: 23 October 2026
The titles on amazon.co.uk do not use one name for the glue. One cartridge says MS, the Bona sheets say silane, a Bona R848T title says silicone, and the 16 kg SikaBond 5500S page never names a chemistry. An MS polymer versus polyurethane decision comes down to whether the glue contains water, whether the sheet says it is free of isocyanates, and whether a UK professional needs diisocyanate training. The [parquet adhesive comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/parquet-adhesive) holds the six listings and their prices. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The titles on amazon.co.uk do not use one name for the glue. One cartridge says MS, the Bona sheets say silane, a Bona R848T title says silicone, and the 16 kg SikaBond 5500S page never names a chemistry.
The titles on amazon.co.uk do not use one name for the glue. One cartridge says MS, the Bona sheets say silane, a Bona R848T title says silicone, and the 16 kg SikaBond 5500S page never names a chemistry. An MS polymer versus polyurethane decision comes down to whether the glue contains water, whether the sheet says it is free of isocyanates, and whether a UK professional needs diisocyanate training. The parquet adhesive comparison holds the six listings and their prices. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Chemistry stated | Isocyanate line | Emissions label | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Sika Sika SikaBond 5500S, 16 kg | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 9.2 | about £127.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Sika Sika SikaBond MS, 600 ml | Polymer blend | Not stated | Not stated | 7.8 | about £12.11 | View offer |
 Bona Bona Titan adhesive, 15 kg | Hard silane on the sheet | Solvent-free on the bullet | EC1-R Plus | 1.0 | about £231.34 | View offer |
On this page
A water-free hybrid or a polyurethane
Silane and MS polymer parquet adhesives in these trade sheets are one-component hybrids. There is no water in the glue. The sheets that spell the formulation out also describe them as solvent-free and isocyanate-free. They cure with moisture from the air, so an opened tub skins if you leave the lid off. Polyurethane is the more rigid family and can contain diisocyanates. Strength and emissions are separate numbers. Soudal’s MS-30 Plus sheet, not one of the six listings, is solvent-free, isocyanate-free and labelled EC1 Plus, and it quotes shear of at least 1.50 N/mm². That 1.50 N/mm² sits below the hard-elastic floor of 2.0 N/mm² in BS EN ISO 17178. Soudal’s MS-20 Plus, outside this set, limits solid boards to 160 mm.
What these six pages actually say
Bona’s Titan sheet describes a hard silane and carries EC1-R Plus. On 19 October 2026 the 15 kg listing was £231.34, with no star line. Bona R848T is the hard-elastic silane: the 1 kg bag was £19.89 with no stars, and the 15 kg tub was £172.88 from two reviews at 4.2. The title says silicone and waterproof. The sheet says silane-modified prepolymer, so buy it as a silane bed, not a sealant. The 600 ml Sika MS cartridge was £12.11, 4.6 from three reviews. It says polymer blend, solvent-free and elastic, and it does not say isocyanate-free. Ignore the PVA bullet. The 16 kg SikaBond 5500S was £127.99, 4.6 from 16 reviews, and it does not say silane, MS or polyurethane. A lower price is not an isocyanate-free test. Bostik’s 500 g bottle was £15.24 and only glues tongues and grooves.
When the UK training rule applies
From 24 August 2023, UK REACH, the retained Regulation (EU) 2020/1149, requires training before industrial or professional use of products that contain monomeric diisocyanate at or above 0.1% by weight. HSENI states the same date, and the training is renewed every five years. FEICA’s flooring module for this work is T-049. A silane or MS product whose sheet says it is isocyanate-free does not trigger that duty. Polyurethane does not trigger it by the family name alone. Under 0.1%, the restriction does not apply, so you read the safety data sheet. The Health and Safety Executive treats isocyanates in polyurethane glues under COSHH. Trowel work is a lower inhalation risk than spraying, and you still ventilate, wear suitable gloves and eye protection, and keep sensitised people out of the work. The training question starts when a professional may use a product at or above that 0.1% line.
EC1 Plus is an emissions label, not a strength class
EC1 Plus is an EMICODE class for what the cured adhesive releases into the room air. It appears on Soudal MS-30 Plus and on the Bona R848T sheet, and Titan’s sheet carries EC1-R Plus. Bona classes Titan as hard and R848T as hard-elastic under BS EN ISO 17178, while the Soudal hybrid that carries EC1 Plus still quotes shear of at least 1.50 N/mm². A hard silane such as Titan is the stricter bed when the sheet calls for 3.0 N/mm² or more. A hard-elastic silane such as R848T allows a shear elongation of 0.5 or more. It is the wrong tub if the specification asked for hard. Bona’s Titan sheet says the bed slows vapour and is not a structural damp-proof membrane. We did not run a lab test.
Common questions
What is an MS or silane parquet adhesive?
It is a one-component hybrid with no water in the glue. Sheets that spell the formulation out also call it solvent-free and isocyanate-free, and it cures with moisture from the air. Bona’s Titan and R848T sheets say silane-modified. The 600 ml Sika cartridge only says polymer blend, solvent-free and elastic.
Does polyurethane always need diisocyanate training?
No. From 24 August 2023 the UK duty covers industrial and professional use at or above 0.1% monomeric diisocyanate by weight, renewed every five years. Under 0.1%, the restriction does not apply. An isocyanate-free silane or MS sheet does not trigger it. You still need the safety data sheet.
Is the Sika 16 kg tub isocyanate-free?
The amazon.co.uk page does not say. It names neither silane, MS nor polyurethane, and it does not say the tub is solvent-free or suitable for underfloor heating. On 19 October 2026 it was £127.99. A lower price than Titan is not a chemistry test.
Does EC1 Plus mean a stronger bond?
No. EC1 Plus is an EMICODE emissions class. BS EN ISO 17178 sets hard at 3.0 N/mm² or more and hard-elastic at 2.0 N/mm² or more. Soudal’s MS-30 Plus carries EC1 Plus and still quotes shear of at least 1.50 N/mm². Bona states Titan as hard and R848T as hard-elastic separately.
Why does the R848T title say silicone?
The amazon.co.uk title uses silicone, and a line also says waterproof. Bona’s sheet says silane-modified prepolymer, and the field is water resistant. R848T is a hard-elastic silane bed, sold here as a 1 kg bag and a 15 kg tub, not a silicone sealant.
What should a professional do before opening a polyurethane tub?
Read the safety data sheet and check the monomeric diisocyanate content. At or above 0.1% by weight, UK REACH requires training for industrial or professional use, renewed every five years. FEICA’s flooring module is T-049. Ventilate, wear suitable gloves and eye protection, and keep sensitised people out of the room.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 19 October 2026.
- BS EN ISO 17178:2020 preview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE isocyanates in construction (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSENI diisocyanates (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Soudal MS-20 Plus technical data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Bona Titan technical data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Bona R848T technical data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Floorscape on measuring moisture before floorcoverings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the six ASINs in this set (retrieved 19 October 2026)