Mineral Technologies Mineral TechnologiesMinteqSpecialty Minerals
CareersCorporate ResponsibilityContact UsMSDSSitemapSearch
About SMIOur MineralsPaperSpecialty ApplicationsExhibitionsPublicationsUseful Links
 
Specialty Minerals Precipitated Calcium Carbonates and Mineral Fillers for Automotive Sealants

Sealants are applied in all areas of cars, trucks, and buses as seam and gap fillers as well as for sound deadening, corrosion control, and windshield installation. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastisol is the main resin used in OEM automotive sealants, primarily for body-seam sealers and underbody coatings. Other sealant systems for glazing and seam sealing include polyurethanes, silicones, and butyl and other elastomeric rubbers. These sealants must be economical to produce, flexible and rugged enough to perform under extreme conditions over long periods of time. They must also resist ultraviolet light, mechanical stress, and extremes in temperature and humidity.


Precipitated Calcium Carbonates in Automotive Sealants
Ease of application is one of several key attributes of a superior sealant. Ultrafine or nano precipitated calcium carbonates (PCCs) function as cost-effective thixotropes in the various resin systems to ensure easy application. As a shear-thinning rheological additive, PCC provides for ease of pumping, extrusion, or spraying, as well as viscosity, yield value, and control of sag and slump. PCC is an economical alternative to higher priced thixotropes, able to either extend or replace them. The ultrafine and nano PCCs also reinforce the sealant, thereby increasing tensile strength and modulus.


Specialty Minerals Precipitated Calcium Carbonates for Automotive Sealants
Specialty Minerals Inc. (SMI) has manufactured ultrafine and nano PCCs for automotive sealants for more than 25 years. Produced in the U.S. and U.K., they are sold around the world. A number of the products are true nano particles, less than 100 nanometers or 0.1 micron in size.

SMI PCCs vary in size and coating, offering optimized performance in a range of polymer systems. To read more about the basic functioning of PCCs in sealants click here and then click here to read more about particle size, hydrophobicity, surface moisture, and other factors that influence the choice of the best product for a given system.

Specialty minerals PCCs recommended for specific automotive formulations are:


Other SMI Minerals In Automotive Sealants
SMI also produces ground calcium carbonates (GCCs), talcs, and barites that are useful in automotive sealants. GCCs are used as cost-reducing fillers in almost all sealants and work effectively with PCC thixotropes. GCCs add some mildly thixotropic viscosity. Finer GCC grades produce higher viscosity build while the coarser grades allow for higher loadings and the best economy. Click here to read more about SMI GCCs for sealants.

Talcs improve resistance to water and chemicals. While most polymers used in automotive sealant applications already are long-lived, butyl rubber and water-based sealants may further benefit from the addition of talc. Unsaturated polyester auto-body filler putties include talc for sandability and surface finish. Click here to read more about SMI talcs for sealants.

Barites absorb sound and are useful in sound-deadening coatings for underbody, trunk, and related automotive uses. Click here to read more about SMI barites for sealants.

 

Learn more: