Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Science / Chemistry / Industrial Chemistry / What is the Difference Between Polysulfide and Polyurethane Sealant

What is the Difference Between Polysulfide and Polyurethane Sealant

March 28, 2022 Posted by Madhu

The key difference between polysulfide and polyurethane sealants is that polysulfide sealants are best for joints that withstand prolonged immersion in liquids, whereas polyurethane sealants are best for hull-to-deck joints.

Polysulfide sealant is a type of sealant designed for joints that have to withstand prolonged immersion in liquids. Polyurethane sealant is a type of sealant having single-component elastomeric sealant properties that tend to dry at humidity and at room temperature.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Polysulfide Sealant
3. What is Polyurethane Sealant
4. Polysulfide vs Polyurethane Sealant in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Polysulfide vs Polyurethane Sealant 

What is Polysulfide Sealant?

Polysulfide sealant is a type of sealant designed for joints that are required to withstand prolonged immersion in liquids. Generally, this type of sealant is used for swimming pools, fountains, cooling towers, fuel, and chemical storage tanks, wastewater treatment, and petrochemical plants.

Polysulfide sealant provides a durable, elastomeric, weather-tight seal for caulking joints in commercial and industrially important projects. It is particularly effective upon exposure to solvents. Two common and commercially available polysulfide sealant types are Pecora Synthacalk GC2+ and TAMMSFLEX SL.

Polysulfide vs Polyurethane Sealant in Tabular Form

Typically, polysulfide sealants cure at normal temperatures through the creation of a tough elastomeric seal that tends to adhere tenaciously to masonry, metal, and wood. Furthermore, this type of sealant is able to withstand repeated expansions and contractions and remain resilient through daily and seasonal cyclic changes in temperature. Moreover, polysulfide sealants have excellent chemical, solvent, and water resistance alongside the withstanding of joint movement of up to a difference of 25%.

Important Features of Polysulfide Sealant

  1. Ability to be used or joint sealant between similar and dissimilar materials
  2. Glazing and caulking
  3. Resistant to splash and spill contact with jet fuel
  4. Perfect for dynamic joints that are subjected to chemicals
  5. A wide range of service temperature

What is Polyurethane Sealant?

Polyurethane sealant is a type of sealant having single-component elastomeric sealant properties that tend to dry at humidity and at room temperature. We can use polyurethane sealant for sealing and gluing. This sealant type is widely used because it has good elastic properties, and its strength on different surfaces is high. Furthermore, polyurethane sealant has good resistance towards impact and vibration. It also has high mechanical strength compared to silicone.

Polysulfide and Polyurethane Sealant - Side by Side Comparison

Polyurethane sealants are organic. Therefore, they show less durability compared to some quality silicone sealants. For instance, the shelf life of this product is about 5-10 years, with various effects considered.

Polyurethane sealants are useful in industrial applications, recreational tools, handicrafts, etc. It is mainly useful for sealing and sample joints and is suitable for spaces that are exposed to moisture. Moreover, these sealants have very good properties, which shows a great impact on the durability and performance of materials, and it is useful in places having frequent vibrations.

Important Features of Polyurethane Sealants

  1. Very high adhesion to different surfaces
  2. Resistance towards moisture and other weather conditions
  3. Resistance towards corrosive agents
  4. High flexibility
  5. Resistance towards sunlight

What is the Difference Between Polysulfide and Polyurethane Sealant?

The key difference between polysulfide and polyurethane sealants is that polysulfide sealants are best for joints that require withstanding prolonged immersion in liquids, whereas polyurethane sealants are best for the hull-to-deck joint.

The below infographic presents the differences between polysulfide and polyurethane sealants in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Polysulfide vs Polyurethane Sealant

Polysulfide sealant is a type of sealant designed for joints that are required to withstand prolonged immersion in liquids. Polyurethane sealant is a type of sealant having single-component elastomeric sealant properties that tend to dry at humidity and at room temperature. The key difference between polysulfide and polyurethane sealants is that polysulfide sealants are best for joints requiring the withstanding of prolonged immersion in liquids, whereas polyurethane sealants are best for the hull-to-deck joint.

Reference:

1. “Polysulfide Sealants – Adhesive, Sealant and Weatherproofing Solutions.” Pecora, 2 Nov. 2021.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Triple Expanding Great Stuff” By Scott Beale / Laughing Squid (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
2. “Window fitter applying polyurethane foam” By Ivan Radic (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr

Related posts:

Difference Between Galvanized Pipe and Ductile Cast IronDifference Between Galvanized Pipe and Ductile Cast Iron Difference Between Perspex and PolycarbonateDifference Between Perspex and Polycarbonate Difference Between Lithium Ion and Lithium PolymerDifference Between Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer Difference Between Lead Chamber Process and Contact ProcessDifference Between Lead Chamber Process and Contact Process Difference Between Olefins and ParaffinsDifference Between Olefins and Paraffins

Filed Under: Industrial Chemistry

About the Author: Madhu

Madhu is a graduate in Biological Sciences with BSc (Honours) Degree and currently persuing a Masters Degree in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry. With a mind rooted firmly to basic principals of chemistry and passion for ever evolving field of industrial chemistry, she is keenly interested to be a true companion for those who seek knowledge in the subject of chemistry.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Habit and Addiction

Difference Between Habit and Addiction

Difference Between Pyrite and Marcasite

Difference Between Pyrite and Marcasite

Difference Between Compose and Comprise

Difference Between Compose and Comprise

Difference Between Metrics and KPIs

Difference Between Metrics and KPIs

Difference Between Intracellular and Extracellular Fluids

Difference Between Intracellular and Extracellular Fluids

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Elementary and Complex Reaction
  • What is the Difference Between Ataxia and Apraxia
  • What is the Difference Between Chlorine Fluorine and Astatine
  • What is the Difference Between B Cell and T Cell Leukemia
  • What is the Difference Between Animal Pole and Vegetal Pole
  • What is the Difference Between Terminal and Bridging Carbonyls
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.