Sealants come in a wide variety of chemical base,however the three most common industrial sealants are
- Silicones
- Polyurethane
- MS Polymer/Modified Silanes
All are single component sealants that cure when exposed to moisture.Curing rate depends on humidity,environmental and substrate temperature and thickness of sealant. However,they differ in their final physical properties achieved after full curing such as temperature resistance,Weaterability,Surface Preparation required and paintaibility etc. One must choose based on the final properties desired.
Because sealants cure in presence of moisture,thicker beads take time to cure.Top 2mm layer can cure in roughly 24hours,subsequently every 1mm thickness takes anywhere around 24hours. Thus sealants forming more than 2.5mm thickness will take time to cure and must be considered appropriately for a high speed production line.