All About High-Temperature Silicone Sealants
Sep 13th 2023
Silicone sealants are a popular choice for many uses, whether making home repairs and touching up a vacuum or for industrial uses like furnaces and HVAC systems. High-temperature situations especially call for a strong sealant to create a long-lasting seal, with silicone being a popular choice thanks to its durability at high temperatures. High-temperature silicone sealants have a variety of uses and benefits for many repair and renovation projects to ensure a high-quality finish.
How High-Temperature Silicone Sealants Work
High-temperature silicone sealants are especially suited for seals that must be durable and stand the test of time. Some of the most popular applications for high-temperature silicone sealants include industrial uses like automobiles, gaskets, and ductwork due to the sealant’s resistance to cracking and breaking at high temperatures. Silicone sealant comes out as a gel that typically takes anywhere from 24 hours to 48 hours before it is fully cured, allowing silicone to maintain its elasticity once cured.
Silicone sealants come in a variety of types for use in different situations. High-temperature Red & Blue RTV Sealant can withstand temperatures of up to 650 Degrees Fahrenheit and can be a practical choice for an automotive sealant for pipes or vents. Many silicone sealants are also made with kitchen situations in mind, with Food Grade 100% RTV Silicone Sealants made to be FDA and USDA-safe for use in kitchens around food.
Why High-Temperature Silicone Sealants Are Effective
As the name would imply, high-temperature silicone sealants are popular as a sealant option for areas that can experience extreme temperatures. Most high-temperature silicone sealants can withstand temperatures as high as 600 Degrees Fahrenheit, making them a practical choice for jobs that require resistance to high temperatures. Even when faced with high temperatures, high-temperature silicone can beat out other types of adhesive sealant by maintaining its elasticity while remaining durable. This effectiveness in high temperatures has made silicone a go-to sealant for engineers and manufacturers alike.
High-temperature silicone sealants also boast many other helpful properties that allow the substance to maintain its form longer. High-temperature silicone sealants are resistant to acids and bases, meaning you can safely use silicone in environments where chemicals are present without worrying about eroding the sealant. Silicone is suitable for electrical situations since silicone rubber boasts high electrical conductivity. Its resistance to gamma irradiation makes silicone a popular choice for medical devices.
Best Applications for High-Temperature Silicone Sealants
As we mentioned before, high-temperature sealants are an effective and popular choice for automobile repair and manufacturing. Silicone’s resistance to high temperatures and flexibility make it an optimal choice for repairing valve covers, fuel pump covers, and water and oil pump seals, among many more automotive applications. High-temperature silicone sealants are often the first choice in areas where vehicles can be exposed to high temperatures, such as engine gaskets and solenoid covers. Silicone’s resistance to heat makes it an effective sealant for such situations.
While silicone sealants are a popular industrial sealant, silicone is also a common choice for many craft projects and home repairs. Silicone’s ability to bond with various materials makes it a popular choice for bathroom renovations. Kitchen & Bath silicone sealants are resistant to mold and mildew, offering a tight, effective seal for areas of the home that experience higher moisture levels. Silicone sealants are commonly offered as consumer products for home renovation projects, making them a practical choice when sealing windows and doors that need to be airtight.
How to Properly Apply High-Temperature Silicone
Understanding how to apply silicone properly will allow you a tight and effective seal that will last for years and keep you safe during the process. Select a sealant from a safe and trusted source that offers reliable products like Silicone Depot’s lineup of sealants.
Always clean surfaces to which you will apply silicone sealant, leaving no debris or dust in the areas you intend to seal. Any dust or objects left behind can cause the silicone to adhere less effectively, making it more susceptible to damage or cracking.
A caulking gun can be an effective tool for applying silicone sealants due to the accuracy it enables with applying your sealant. When using silicone, it is essential to ensure that the distribution of the adhesive is even, so smoothing out the sealant after it is applied can create a more effective seal.
Once applied, silicone sealant needs time and the correct conditions to ensure it cures properly. Silicone sealants can take as little as 24 hours to cure once applied, but may take as long as 48 hours depending on the type of material used, the air temperatures around the area you will seal, and the air conditions.
Silicone sealants cure most effectively in areas between 50 and 100 Degrees Fahrenheit, keeping silicone sealants dry and frost-free throughout the curing process. Silicone sealants can also emit an odor while curing, so be mindful of that, too. Once the seal has cured, recheck it to ensure no cracks or gaps have formed within the sealant.Shop Silicone Depot for your High-Temperature silicone needs.
Silicone sealants offer a wide variety of use cases for renovation projects, industrial adhesives, and automobile repair. Choosing to shop from a supplier you can trust for your silicone sealants can help to ensure a better quality product that will stand the test of time. Silicone Depot is a leader in the silicone sealing industry, and we offer products for a wide range of applications. Our products are designed to withstand the test of time, hold up under harsh high-temperature conditions, and withstand harsh chemicals.
Whether you’re looking for automotive silicone sealants like our Xtreme Gasket silicone sealant for sealing gearboxes and compressors or spray-on sealants like the EASY-RTV silicone sealant pressure can, Silicone Depot provides a tight, long-lasting seal, no matter what the situation. Check out our full selection of silicone sealants to learn more!