Introduction

Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluids through the surface or joints or openings
in materials,[1] a type of mechanical seal. In building construction sealant is sometimes synonymous
with caulking and also serve the purposes of blocking dust, sound and heat transmission. Sealants
may be weak or strong, flexible or rigid, permanent or temporary. Sealants are not adhesives but
some have adhesive qualities and are called adhesive-sealants or structural sealants.
Sealants were first used in prehistory in the broadest sense as mud, grass and reeds to seal
dwellings from the weather[2] such as the daub in wattle and daub and thatching. Natural sealants
and adhesive-sealants included plant resins such as pine pitch and birch
pitch, bitumen, wax, tar, natural gum, clay (mud) mortar, lime mortar, lead, blood and egg. In the
17th century glazing putty was first used to seal window glass made with linseed oil and chalk, later
other drying oils were also used to make oil-based putties which were often referred to as caulks. In
the 1920s polymers such as acrylic polymers, butyl polymers and silicone polymers were first
developed and used in sealants. By the 1960s synthetic-polymer-based sealants were widely
available.[2]
Sealants, despite not having great strength, convey a number of properties. They seal top structures
to the substrate, and are particularly effective in waterproofing processes by keeping moisture out
(or in) the components in which they are used. They can provide thermal and acoustical insulation,
and may serve as fire barriers. They may have electrical properties, as well. Sealants can also be
used for simple smoothing or filling. They are often called upon to perform several of these functions
at once.
A caulking sealant has three basic functions: It fills a gap between two or more substrates; it forms a
barrier through the physical properties of the sealant itself and by adhesion to the substrate; and, it
maintains sealing properties for the expected lifetime, service conditions, and environments. In
construction, sealants are used to seal cracks, expansion joints, joints in concrete roads and to fill
gaps between concrete.[3] The sealant performs these functions by way of correct formulation to
achieve specific application and performance properties. Other than adhesives, however, there are
few functional alternatives to the sealing process. Soldering or welding can perhaps be used as
alternatives in certain instances, depending on the substrates and the relative movement that the
substrates will see in service. However, the simplicity and reliability offered by organic elastomers
usually make them the clear choice for performing these functions.

Types of sealants[edit]
A sealant may be viscous material that has little or no flow characteristics and which stay where they
are applied; or they can be thin and runny so as to allow it to penetrate the substrate by means of
capillary action. Anaerobic acrylic sealants (generally referred to as impregnants) are the most
desirable, as they are required to cure in the absence of air, unlike surface sealants that require air
as part of the cure mechanism that changes state to become solid, once applied, and is used to
prevent the penetration of air, gas, noise, dust, fire, smoke, or liquid from one location through a
barrier into another. Typically, sealants are used to close small openings that are difficult to shut with
other materials, such as concrete, drywall, etc. Desirable properties of sealants include
insolubility, corrosion resistance, and adhesion. Uses of sealants vary widely and sealants are used
in many industries, for example, construction, automotive and aerospace industries.
Types of sealants fall between the higher-strength, adhesive-derived sealers and coatings at one
end, and extremely low-strength putties, waxes, and caulks at the other. Putties and caulks serve
only one function – i.e., to take up space and fill voids. Silicone is an example of a sealant - and has
a proven long life and is unaffected by UV or extremes of weather or temperature.
See below for other common types of sealants -

 Acrylic resins
 Acoustic sealants
 Adhesive sealants
 Butyl rubber
 Dental sealants
 Elastic sealants
 Electronic sealants
 Epoxy thermosets
 Extruded sealants
 Fibrin glue
 Firestop barrier sealants
 Floor sealant
 Foam
 Hot wax
 Impregnating sealants
 Latex sealants
 Metal sealants
 Patio sealants
 Paint sealants
 Plastic sealants
 Polysulfide sealants
 Polyurethane sealants
 Rubber sealants
 Sealcoat
 Seam sealants
 Silicone sealant
 Stone sealer
 Surgical sealant
 Tile sealant
 Urethane sealants
 Valve seal
 Varnish
 WKT

Common areas of use[edit]

 Automotive industry
 Asphalt
 Pipe threads
 Aerospace industry
 Aircraft
 Aquariums
 Casting
 Cement/Concrete
 Engines
 Gaskets
 Glass
 HVAC systems
 Hydraulic systems
 Marine industry
 Military grade
 Radiators
 Reservoirs
 Roofs
 Tires
 Wood

Comparison with adhesives[edit]

Types of sealants[edit]
A sealant may be viscous material that has little or no flow characteristics and which stay where they
are applied; or they can be thin and runny so as to allow it to penetrate the substrate by means of
capillary action. Anaerobic acrylic sealants (generally referred to as impregnants) are the most
desirable, as they are required to cure in the absence of air, unlike surface sealants that require air
as part of the cure mechanism that changes state to become solid, once applied, and is used to
prevent the penetration of air, gas, noise, dust, fire, smoke, or liquid from one location through a
barrier into another. Typically, sealants are used to close small openings that are difficult to shut with
other materials, such as concrete, drywall, etc. Desirable properties of sealants include
insolubility, corrosion resistance, and adhesion. Uses of sealants vary widely and sealants are used
in many industries, for example, construction, automotive and aerospace industries.
Types of sealants fall between the higher-strength, adhesive-derived sealers and coatings at one
end, and extremely low-strength putties, waxes, and caulks at the other. Putties and caulks serve
only one function – i.e., to take up space and fill voids. Silicone is an example of a sealant - and has
a proven long life and is unaffected by UV or extremes of weather or temperature.
See below for other common types of sealants -

 Acrylic resins
 Acoustic sealants
 Adhesive sealants
 Butyl rubber
 Dental sealants
 Elastic sealants
 Electronic sealants
 Epoxy thermosets
 Extruded sealants
 Fibrin glue
 Firestop barrier sealants
 Floor sealant
 Foam
 Hot wax
 Impregnating sealants
 Latex sealants
 Metal sealants
 Patio sealants
 Paint sealants
 Plastic sealants
 Polysulfide sealants
 Polyurethane sealants
 Rubber sealants
 Sealcoat
 Seam sealants
 Silicone sealant
 Stone sealer
 Surgical sealant
 Tile sealant
 Urethane sealants
 Valve seal
 Varnish
 WKT

Common areas of use[edit]

 Automotive industry
 Asphalt
 Pipe threads
 Aerospace industry
 Aircraft
 Aquariums
 Casting
 Cement/Concrete
 Engines
 Gaskets
 Glass
 HVAC systems
 Hydraulic systems
 Marine industry
 Military grade
 Radiators
 Reservoirs
 Roofs
 Tires
 Wood

Comparison with adhesives[edit]

Types of sealants[edit]
A sealant may be viscous material that has little or no flow characteristics and which stay where they
are applied; or they can be thin and runny so as to allow it to penetrate the substrate by means of
capillary action. Anaerobic acrylic sealants (generally referred to as impregnants) are the most
desirable, as they are required to cure in the absence of air, unlike surface sealants that require air
as part of the cure mechanism that changes state to become solid, once applied, and is used to
prevent the penetration of air, gas, noise, dust, fire, smoke, or liquid from one location through a
barrier into another. Typically, sealants are used to close small openings that are difficult to shut with
other materials, such as concrete, drywall, etc. Desirable properties of sealants include
insolubility, corrosion resistance, and adhesion. Uses of sealants vary widely and sealants are used
in many industries, for example, construction, automotive and aerospace industries.
Types of sealants fall between the higher-strength, adhesive-derived sealers and coatings at one
end, and extremely low-strength putties, waxes, and caulks at the other. Putties and caulks serve
only one function – i.e., to take up space and fill voids. Silicone is an example of a sealant - and has
a proven long life and is unaffected by UV or extremes of weather or temperature.
See below for other common types of sealants -

 Acrylic resins
 Acoustic sealants
 Adhesive sealants
 Butyl rubber
 Dental sealants
 Elastic sealants
 Electronic sealants
 Epoxy thermosets
 Extruded sealants
 Fibrin glue
 Firestop barrier sealants
 Floor sealant
 Foam
 Hot wax
 Impregnating sealants
 Latex sealants
 Metal sealants
 Patio sealants
 Paint sealants
 Plastic sealants
 Polysulfide sealants
 Polyurethane sealants
 Rubber sealants
 Sealcoat
 Seam sealants
 Silicone sealant
 Stone sealer
 Surgical sealant
 Tile sealant
 Urethane sealants
 Valve seal
 Varnish
 WKT
Common areas of use[edit]
 Automotive industry
 Asphalt
 Pipe threads
 Aerospace industry
 Aircraft
 Aquariums
 Casting
 Cement/Concrete
 Engines
 Gaskets
 Glass
 HVAC systems
 Hydraulic systems
 Marine industry
 Military grade
 Radiators
 Reservoirs
 Roofs
 Tires
 Wood
 RRL
Transcript of Styrofoam and Gasoline as Alternativve Sealant
Styrofoam and Gasoline as Alternative Sealant
Rationale
Review of Related Literature
Philippines as a tropical country.
Rusting on roofs causing easy breakage
A more economical way of making a roof sealant by recycling used Styrofoam
An urge to know if this alternative sealant can be effective on roofs
Objectives
This study aims to produce an alternative sealant made out of Styrofoam and gasoline, and to compare its
effectivity to the commercial one in terms of,
1.) duration of dryness (the time for sealant to dry)
2.) its adhesiveness and
3.) its water resistance
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is the brand name for a type of polystyrene invented by Dow Building Solutions in the mid-
20th century.
Generic term for expanded polystyrene foam (disposable coffee cups)
It is not a biodegradable material.
When heated above its glass transition temperature, it turns to liquid form and becomes solid again when
it cools off
It dissolves in some organic solvents

Sealant
Sealant is a viscous material that changes state to become solid, once applied
Used to prevent the penetration of air, gas, dust, fire, smoke or liquid from one location through a barrier
into another
Known to be a viscous material which turns to solid after application

Gasoline
Gasoline is a fuel derived from petroleum crude oil used for engines
An organic substance
A volatile substance and is stable if stored properly
Flow rate and viscosity

Scope and Limitations

Only limited for Styrofoam since it can be melted by gasoline; not all plastic materials can melt in
gasoline
Special XCS was the gasoline that was used
No materials were bought in the market since this study aims to use recyclable materials
An amount of P50.00 was used for gasoline

Methodology
MATERIALS
500 ml of gasoline
Styrofoam
Commercial Sealant
two 4x4 galvanized iron

APPARATUS
2 clean container
Procedure
Prepare and gather the materials needed. Place the Styrofoam on a clean container. Cut it into smaller
pieces. Next, pour the 500 ml gasoline, which is placed on the second container, into the first container
with the Styrofoam on it. Mix the mixture and wait until it turns viscous.
Can Styrofoam and gasoline combined become a sealant? If so, does it have the same effects with the
commercial sealant? These are the problems that the researchers would like to find out.
Problem
Significance of the Study
If this study will be successful, then it would be of great help and contribution to the school and to the
environment. People who are experiencing financial problems can benefit from this study because it is
much cheaper and less expensive than the commercial sealant since the materials used in this alternative
sealant are only recycled.
Conclusions
When polystyrene is heated above its glass transition temperature, it turns into liquid form. It becomes
solid again when it cools off. Since gasoline is flammable, this causes the Styrofoam to melt, turning it
into a sealant. After thorough experimentation on this investigatory project, one can conclude that
Styrofoam and gasoline combined will become a sealant.
Styrofoam dissolves in organic solvents and gasoline is an example of such. Since gasoline is flammable,
this causes the Styrofoam to melt, gradually turning it into a sealant after mixing. After thorough
experimentation on this investigatory project, one can conclude that Styrofoam and gasoline combined
will create an alternative sealant.
The next researchers can test whether the product is flame resistant and to also use other types of gasoline
aside from the Special XCS.
Recommendations
Time to Dry
Adhesiveness
Water
Resistance
Set-up 1
(Commercial
Sealant)

Set-up 2
(Alternative
Sealant)

5 – 10
minutes

15 – 20
minutes
Product cannot be removed easily from the galvanized iron.

Product sticks to the roof but may lose its effectiveness if removed for a number of times.
Water cannot pass through the holes.
Water cannot pass through the holes.
Results and Discussion
METHODOLOGY

Materials and Equipment

(Styrofoam and Gasoline)

1L of Gasoline

Styrofoam

Stirring Rod