Play it safe, even at temperatures below 0 °C
Official sealant application temperature guide values
A number of standards and guidelines require a sealant application temperature of at least +5 °C. They justify this requirement by stating that:
- The reaction speed of sealants reduces with the temperature. At temperatures below 0 °C, some products can barely cure or could even suffer significant damage.
- The lower the temperature, the higher the viscosity of sealants. Consequence: Extruding the material requires a lot more effort.
- At low temperatures, condensation water may form on the substrate. If it freezes, the substrate is covered with a barely visible layer of ice.
- Temperature fluctuations may also cause strong, problematic component movements, especially when the sealant hasn’t cured yet. For safety reasons, jointing must therefore be done at a minimum temperature of +5 °C.
For temperatures below 0 °C
our SMP sealants can offer you additional security:
A better curing reaction
An “antifreeze” compound is an integral part of our SMP-based sealants: The system makes sure that our sealants cure even at temperatures below 0 °C. Laboratory tests showed that, at -10 °C, SMP-based sealants cure to a depth of 3.5 mm within just one week. (à Alternative systems do not cure at all at temperatures like that.)
Good adhesion
Even at temperatures of down to -20 °C, our SMP-based sealants can ensure adhesion – both with non-absorbent and porous substrates. Thanks to their hydrophilic surface, our SMP sealants moisten wet and frozen surfaces: While curing, they de-ice the substrate border area such that adhesion can evolve.
High strength
The lower the temperature, the slower the reaction and the slower the strength builds up. After three months of storing at -20 °C, we can see that our SMP-based sealants have developed a strength that corresponds to about 50% of the reference value in standard climate conditions. At -10 °C, the value goes up to 70%.
Summary
When carried out professionally, successful sealing can therefore be ensured even in adverse climate conditions.
