The key difference between acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone is that acetoxy silicone can release acetic acid during the curing process, whereas neutral cure silicone can release alcohol, so it is not acidic during the curing process.
Acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone are two types of sealants. In order to determine which sealant is good for our purposes, we can determine the materials we are using and the location where we apply the sealant. Acetoxy silicone is a type of sealant that can release acetic acid during curing. Neutral cure silicone is a type of sealant that can release alcohols during curing.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Acetoxy Silicone
3. What is Neutral Cure Silicone
4. Acetoxy Silicone vs Neutral Cure Silicone in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Acetoxy Silicone vs Neutral Cure Silicone
What is Acetoxy Silicone?
Acetoxy silicone is a type of sealant that can release acetic acid during the curing process. The name of this sealant comes from the ability to release acetic acid, which also gives a vinegar-like smell while curing. Typically, this silicone sealant cures in the presence of atmospheric moisture; these sealants also have a very fast cure time. Furthermore, it can adhere better to many surfaces.
The release of acetic acid by the acetoxy silicone sealant causes this silicone to have a strong smell compared to neutral cure silicones. Furthermore, this acetic acid can cause some adverse effects on some delicate electronic components. In addition, acetic acid can be corrosive to certain substrates and metals. Therefore, this sealant can cause bleeding.
The most common applications of acetoxy silicone include applications on windows and door frames, kitchen backsplashes, countertop sealing, bathrooms, and bathtubs.
What is Neutral Cure Silicone?
Neutral cure silicone is a type of sealant that can release alcohols during the curing process. It is unique in that some of these sealants can release methyl ethyl ketoxime, whereas others release acetone during curing. These are non-corrosive substances, which are thixotropic and can make neutral cure silicone ideal for electronics applications.
Furthermore, neutral cure silicone releases a much subtler odor than regular silicone. This makes neutral cure silicone a great candidate for indoor applications, including kitchen installations. However, its cure time is longer than the cure time of acetoxy cure silicone.
The uses of neutral cure silicone include roofing, industrial gaskets, HVAC, compressor pumps, and refrigeration. Usually, this type of silicone is ideal for delicate surfaces. However, when using it for heavy-duty sealant jobs, we can use hybrid adhesives in combination with the neutral cure silicone to enhance the sealing capability.
What is the Difference Between Acetoxy Silicone and Neutral Cure Silicone?
Acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone are two types of sealants. In order to determine which sealant is good for our purpose, we can determine the materials, which type of silicone we are using, and where we are applying it. The key difference between acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone is that acetoxy silicone can release acetic acid during the curing process, whereas neutral cure silicone can release alcohol, so it is not acidic during the curing process.
Below is a summary of the difference between acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Acetoxy Silicone vs Neutral Cure Silicone
Acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone are two types of sealants. The key difference between acetoxy silicone and neutral cure silicone is that acetoxy silicone can release acetic acid during the curing process, whereas neutral cure silicone can release alcohol, so it is not acidic during the curing process.
Reference:
1. “What Is Neutral Cure Silicone?” Classi – WaterproofYourBathroom.com.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Acetoxy-fixing-sealing-silicone” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Caulking” By Achim Hering – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia