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Structural silicone glazing
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In the past 30 years structural silicone sealants have granted designers and architects the freedom to create beautifully elegant glass facades and transform the skylines of the world's cities.
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 It is believed that structural glazing was first used in the US in the early sixties, and then spread rapidly around the world. The primary function of sealants today is to support the entire glass structure by resisting wind, thermal and other stresses. Adhesion is obviously the key performance of any structural sealant, given that ideal elastomer properties are useless without proper performance. Once applied, the sealants vulcanize and fix the glass pane to the frame material. Over the last 30 years structural sealants have earned a reputation for reliability, given that in many cases, such as during earthquakes, they have prevented glass from falling. Structural sealants have also proven theire worth in resisting other outdoor environmental factors such as sunlight, thermal changes, water, atmospheric pollutants, etc. Special sealants have also been manufactured to resist the impact of bomb explosions, particularly interesting after the September 11 terrorist attack. As for the use of structural sealants, manufacturers advise customers to be accurate in all phases of planning and construction, including pre-job testing, material selection etc.
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Photos: Dow Corning
Last review: February, 2002 |
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| Other Net Sources |
Dow Corning
Structural silicones performance, long-term savings, reliability, design examples, etc.
DC 995
Dow Corning's case history of 995 structural silicone adhesives.
Seatle Sun
General information about structural silicone glazing.
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