Silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are based on tough silicone elastomeric technology. Silicone adhesives have a high degree of flexibility and very high temperature resistance (up to 600 degrees F), when compared to other adhesives. While silicone adhesives and silicone sealants have a high degree of flexibility, they lack the strength of other epoxy or acrylic resins. Silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are available in two-component addition or condensation curing systems or single component RTV forms. Room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) forms cure through reaction with moisture in the air and give off aciatic acid fumes or other by-product vapors during curing.
Silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are available in a number of technologies (or cure systems). These technologies include pressure sensitive, radiation cured, moisture cured, thermoset and RTV.
Silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are based on tough silicone elastomeric technology. Silicone adhesives have a high degree of flexibility and very high temperature resistance (up to 600 degrees F), when compared to other adhesives. While silicone adhesives and silicone sealants have a high degree of flexibility, they lack the strength of other epoxy or acrylic resins. Silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are available in two-component addition or condensation curing systems or single component RTV forms. Room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) forms cure through reaction with moisture in the air and give off aciatic acid fumes or other by-product vapors during curing.
Silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are available in a number of technologies (or cure systems). These technologies include pressure sensitive, radiation cured, moisture cured, thermoset and RTV.
Pressure sensitive silicone adhesives adhere to most surfaces with very slight pressure and they retain their tackiness. They form viscoelastic bonds that are aggressively and permanently tacky, and adhere without the need of more than finger or hand pressure. UV or radiation cured silicone adhesives and silicone sealants use ultraviolet light, visible light or electron bean irradiation to initiate curing, which allows a permanent bond without heating or excessive heat generation. One disadvantage of UV curing adhesives is the requirement that one substrate is UV transparent. Some UV resin systems employ a secondary curing mechanism to complete curing of adhesive regions shielded from the UV light. EB curable adhesives use electron beam radiation to cure or initiate curing. The electron beam can penetrate through material that is opaque to UV light. Reactive moisture cured resins are single component adhesives are applied like hot melt adhesives until the resin reacts with moisture to crosslink and polymerize resulting in a cured material. Certain silicone adhesives and cyanoacrylates also use a reaction with moisture or water to cure the adhesive or sealant. Thermoset silicone adhesives and silicone sealants are crosslinked polymeric resins cured using heat or heat and pressure. Cured thermoset resins do not melt and flow when heated, but they may soften. Vulcanization is a thermosetting reaction involving the use of heat and/or pressure in conjunction with a vulcanizing agent, resulting in greatly increased strength, stability and elasticity in rubber-like materials. RTV silicone rubbers are room temperature vulcanizing materials. The vulcanizing agent is a crosslinking compound or catalyst. Sulfur is the traditional vulcanizing agent used with natural rubber. Silicones use moisture, acetic acid and other compounds as curing agents.
