Twenty-nine commercial polyvinyl acetate emulsion adhesives with a range of ash contents from 0.05 to 16.56% were examined for their bonding ability with wood and, subsequently, for the quality of wood adhesive bonds at elevated temperatures. Strength retention of wood adhesive joints at elevated temperatures was found to depend greatly on the adhesive ash content, although no such correlation existed at room temperature. The better heat resistance of high-ash adhesives is explained by a good linear relationship between softening temperature and ash content. -- AATA