When constructing prefabricated industrial or residential buildings, it is imperative to use special materials to seal the seams between the individual structural elements. Why use sealants? Joints are the most vulnerable spot of any structure, since moisture can penetrate through them. This threatens to accelerate the corrosion of welded parts, which can reduce the service life of the building, and quite significantly. The industry produces many types of substances for sealing joints. One of them is mastic thiokol AM 0 5.
Mastic Properties
This is the name of the composition of several components, the basis of which is synthetic rubber. At normal temperature, the substance solidifies to the state of a rubber-like elastic material. Since the sealant does not contain solvents, it does not shrink after hardening, therefore, gaps do not occur, and the joints are reliably protected from moisture.
The material is characterized by excellent adhesion with almost all building materials: brick, metal, wood, concrete, plaster and others.
Among the most important characteristics possessed by thiokol sealant, high resistance to influences:
- Heat.
- Shrinkage strain.
- Low temperatures.
- UV light.
- Infrared radiation.
Thanks to this, you can use the material in any climatic zone of the CIS countries and Russia.
Sealant Requirements
Regardless of the location of the joint, the sealant used should:
- Retain all its characteristics in all weather conditions.
- Keep your properties for a long time.
- Protect joints from water.
- Do not let air in more than prescribed by the norm.
- Do not react to various aggressive substances (alkalis, acids).
And, of course, one of the important characteristics for consumers that mastic tiokolova should have is price. Today it remains quite affordable and is in the range of 210-230 rubles. per 1 kg depending on the region.
As can be seen from the above requirements, the material for sealing should have such properties that are no longer presented to any other building material.
Application area
Sealing mastic is used during repair or construction of new structures for:
- Protection of all nodes of the interface of building structures from moisture.
- Sealing seams that are located on a false balcony or channel roof.
- Sealing metal elements adjacent to a brick wall, to the roof, attic.
- Sealing interblock, interpanel and other types of joints that enclose the outer walls.
- Waterproofing protection of construction joints.
Application features
Thiocol sealant is a set of two pastes. One of them is curing, the other is the main one. Before you start using the material, you must prepare it. To do this, knead the curing paste well and then introduce it into the main component in the amount indicated in the instructions. It is necessary to mix the substance until both components mix well, and there will be no streaks of color. But at the same time, it is necessary to prepare the sealant before use, otherwise the substance will harden before it is used - the mastic remains viable from one to 15 hours. Hardening time depends on the ambient temperature. Fully vulcanization process will end within 6-10 days. But if the ambient temperature is below zero, the hardening process slows down and completely stops at -40 ° C.
To speed up the vulcanization of sealed joints, you can warm them up. The process will complete in just 12-16 hours, if the heating temperature is 80 degrees, and at 50 degrees the hardening will be completed in 26-36 hours.
Before applying the sealant, you need to prepare the surface - clean it from ice, debris, dirt. Thiokol mastic is applied only on dry surfaces. If moisture is present, wipe it with a rag. The layer thickness can be from 2 to 5 mm. Depending on how wide the seam is, about 100-300 g of sealant can be spent per running meter. If it is raining, snowing, and it is necessary to work on the street, then it is forbidden to process surfaces.
Thiokol mastic is applied very easily with a brush, spatula, syringe. In the slots located below, the product can simply be poured and, if necessary, leveled with a spatula. Manufacturers guarantee a minimum service life of the material - from 10 years and above: it depends on the aggressiveness of the environment.
Important detail: during the preparation of mastic it is forbidden to use any solvents.
Storage and transportation
Sealing mastic is sold in metal boxes, printed cardboard drums or any other container. The main requirement for it is that it must be airtight and wide-necked. Previously, the paste is packaged in a bag of polyethylene and only then placed in a packaging container. Her weight is 30 or 75 kg. You can store the material in a closed room, which is well ventilated, or under a canopy, to protect from direct sunlight and to prevent moisture. Since the sealant is not afraid of high and low temperatures, it can be stored on the street at any time of the year, but not more than 6 months.
If the thiokol mastic is stored on the street, and the temperature rises above +30 ° C or drops below –20 ° C, the material must be protected or transferred to a room more suitable for storage.
Sealant can be transported in any form of transport, since it is a non-hazardous substance.
Security measures
Although thiokol mastic is not a hazardous substance, some safety precautions must be followed:
- Get to work just wearing rubber gloves.
- Avoid direct contact with the skin surface.
If material has come into contact with exposed skin, it must be removed using ethanol. After that, wash the skin surface with soap.