Which sealants where

Since silicone can keep its adhesive properties when temperatures are high, it is commonly used in automobiles, electronic devices, and appliances.

Often silicone adhesives will be used as a bonding agent for parts in car engines, such as a car gasket. In appliances and electronic devices, silicone is used to seal cables and sensors into place. While all silicone sealants have the same basic adhesive properties, some sealants are designed for specific applications.

Therefore, knowing what you will be using silicone sealant for will make it easier to determine if you need a specialized sealant. Individuals who are working with objects that get extremely hot should consider purchasing a high temperature silicone sealant. It is also resistant to aging, vibration, and shock. Therefore, this type of sealant is perfect for binding objects, such as valve covers, thermostat housings, and fuel pumps in automobiles.

It can also be used for some industrial purposes, such as sealing various gaskets, cable insulation, and ductwork. Electrical Grade Self-Leveling silicone is another great silicone sealant. It does not contain acetic acid or any other corrosive chemicals.

Furthermore, it is highly resistant to weathering, moisture, the sun, and extreme temperatures. Therefore, it is an excellent adhesive to use on materials that are constantly exposed to the elements. Mating of two or more parts together results in gaps, which adversely affect the integrity and the performance of the object.

Sealants are effectively used to fill up gaps between the surfaces and close off any spaces that may occur. However, sealants are not an alternative to adhesives while some sealants do have adhesive properties.

Curing is a process under which the applied sealant is toughed or allowed to settle down effectively. The curing process and duration is solely based on which sealant is being applied to the joints. Curing process for some sealants may take few hours whereas for some it may take up to weeks. The methods that are used to cure different types of sealants are as follows; What is curing? Under this curing procedure, the sealant is applied at the joint and left untouched at room temperature.

The moisture in the air cures the sealant. Ambient temperature sealant usually have a curing time from thirty minutes to four hours. The thickness layer of the sealant as well as the ambient humidity directly affects curing time.

Silicone and epoxy sealants are usually cured using this method. Thermal curing. Currently, there are more than forty types of sealants available in the market, out of which the most commonly industrially used sealants are as follows:.

To decide which sealant to use of all the available sealants, it must be made sure before application that whether the joining material is compatible or not. Having a sealant being applied on an incompatible material may result in the degradation of the material and failure to seal off the joint. Step one — Clean up the surface: Clean the surface with a cloth and make sure that the joints are dry and grease and dirt free.

Step two — Prepare the joints: Prepare the joints by aligning them in the way you want them to be sealed. Put masking tape around the edges in order to avoid any mess. Step three — Apply masking tape: Insert backing material between the joints. Addition of a backing material avoids the seepage of sealant deep into the joint during curing process. Step four — Application of sealant: The sealant is applied manually or using a sealant applying machine.

Handguns are the most common type of sealant applicators. Step five — Joint smoothing: The joint is smoothed out using a plastic card. This allows for a better sealant contact with the joint.

Step six — Remove the masking tape: After all the previous steps are completed accordingly, the masking tapes are removed. Any comment with external website links will not be published. Get expert engineering tips straight to your inbox. Subscribe to the New York Engineers Blog below. At Nearby Engineers New York Engineers , we search for simple, eloquent solutions to complex problems. We minimize construction costs by eliminating the extraneous and focusing on the overall efficiency for the most streamlined designs.

Partner with Us Pricing Calculator. Back to main navigation. Engineering Services. Modeling Services. Value Added Services. MEP Design Services. Many adhesive technologies can be formulated into sealants. Sealants fall between higher-strength adhesives at one end and extremely low-strength putties and caulks at the other.

Putties and caulks serve only one function — i. Sealants, on the other hand, despite not having great strength, do convey a number of properties. They seal the substrate at the glue line; they are particularly effective in keeping moisture in or out of the components in which they are used. They provide thermal and acoustical insulation and may serve as fire barriers; sometimes they contain electrical properties.

They may also be used for smoothing or filleting.