In this month’s blog we’re going to discuss gasket sealants and we’ll start things off with an explanation of what they do.

What Are Gasket Sealants

A gasket sealant is essentially a substance that helps hold a mechanical joint – known as a gasket – in place. Sealants come in a variety of substances including pourable/self-levelling substances, adhesive sprays, glues or pastes.

The main purpose of a sealant is to prevent the leakage of fluids and to reduce the risk of mechanical faults occurring as the adjoining machine parts rub against one another. Gaskets are commonly used in a range of industries and machinery. Here at TYM we have the expertise and knowledge to advise you on what sealant is suitable for meeting your requirements.

Gaskets are fairly secure on their own, but most professional engineers will use a sealant of some variety to help reinforce the strength and integrity of the joints. Many of the sealants available on the market offer some form of benefit, like ensuring the gasket is waterproof or weather-proof. The latter can be important to ensure that outside elements like water, air, heat and other contaminants don’t get into the machinery, therefore preventing contamination.

Which Gasket Sealants Does TYM Offer

TYM uses and supplies a variety of sealants. The RTV range offers a multitude of ready-to-use adhesive sealants that are extremely versatile and eliminate the common issues. We recommend that you use one of the following products:

  • RTV 102, RTV 103, RTV 108 and RTV109 sealants are standard strength products with a paste consistency. These can be applied to vertical and overhead surfaces where pourable/self-levelling sealants are not practical.
  • RTV112 and RTV118 sealants are self-levelling products that are perfect for filling small crevices and hard-to-reach places.
  • RTV106 and RTV116 sealants are both standard strength, high-temperature sealants. However, RTV106 is a paste-consistency and RTV116 is a self-levelling sealant.

One important fact, that shouldn’t be neglected, is that all of these sealants utilise a moisture cure system and therefore they must not be used in a thicknesses greater than 6mm. Where a 6mm depth is exceeded, we recommend using a one component GE Silicone, addition cure or two-component silicone rubber compounds.

Key Performance Properties Of These Sealants

  • One-component products
  • Capability to cure at room temperature and ambient humidity
  • Self-adhesion
  • Low temperature flexibility
  • High temperature performance
  • Excellent weather-ability
  • Excellent ozone and chemical resistance
  • Excellent electrical insulating properties

To find out the prices of all of the gasket sealants on offer at TYM, please visit Silicone and RTV Sealants. If you have any questions or queries about which sealant will fit your requirements, whether that be for business or personal use, please contact Nick and the team at TYM on 01380 734510 or email us at sales@tym.co.uk.