Sealants are available in different groups of products, each group consists of different chemistries. The most easy split is between elastic and plastic sealants. The elastic sealants are mainly based on acrylates, silicones, polysulfides, polyurethanes, hybrids and MS Polymers. These products have an elastic deformation behaviour and transfer loads. Each product has its own deformation limit, under which no damage will occur to the product. This limit is especially important for movement joints.
The other group is described as plastic sealants. This group consists mainly out of butyl and polyisobutylene based products. The products are often used in combination with rubber/EPDM based strips to guarantee a durable watertight joint. The products need an external pressure in order to maintain their sealing function. These products are also available in hotmelt and preformed strip versions. Hotmelt versions are typically used in isolating glass.
