How Compatability Tests Lead to the Introduction of Compatible Adhesives and Sealant Systems

Randolf Karrer, Henkel Teroson GmbH

The individual design by architects and the increased technical awareness of the end-customer result in a more and more complex end-product called Insulating glass. A drastical increase of the number of single components involved in today’s IG-element, like coated glass, new warm-edge spacer bars, resins, foils, muntin-bars, blinds and setting-blocks may cause negative “interferences” of those components among themselves or in combination with others.
Apart from so-called chemical incompatibilities, incorrect manufacture of IG-units as well as wrong designs or construction failures can also be a source for significant damages in buildings and facades.

Over the last 3 to 4 years fundamental new aspects regarding physical-chemical interactions between insulating glass sealants and their contact materials have been discovered. One new aspect has been for ex. that incompatibility reactions between three or even four sealants may occur especially during the installations of facades.

Highly sophisticated analytical methods in combination with newly designed compatibility tests have been used and developed in order to analyse the reasons and simulate effects for incompatibility. As preliminary test Henkel Teroson has developed a materials-test in which all sealants in potential interaction are examined. As a real simulation of the in-built situation we carry out a compatibility test with complete IG-units including e.g. the weatherseal applied. The results of both tests taken together allow us to judge reliable about the compatibility of sealant systems.

Taking our recently acquired knowledge into account, we have increased our insulating glass sealant portfolio based on Polyisobutylene-, Polysulfide- and Hotmelt-sealants by the introduction of compatible Silicone sealants for Insulating Glass industry.

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The Authors

Randolf Karrer HB Fuller Read more