The Thermoplastic Edge Seal System – A New Insulating Glass Generation

Dr. Gerfried Unger

Today sealed insulating glass units are
manufactured using a six step technique, that
comes from a more craftsman-like way of
production though it was combined with large
machinery in course of time. The new
Thermoplastic Edge Seal System substitutes three
of the insulating glass edge seal components by
a new type of butyl sealant. The elimination of the
metallic spacer rises the question of tightness
against water vapour and gas permeation. The
desiccant incorporated in the new butyl sealant
adsorbs moisture before it can penetrate into the
air space. Due to the completely different
adsorption mechanism the moisture adsorption
curve is exponentially decreasing. Given a
sufficient butyl thickness, the desiccant in units
made with the new edge seal system needs much
longer to become saturated. The service life of the
units is expected to be longer.

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