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Butylene and Butyl Rubber Sealants with Specialty Minerals Precipitated Calcium Carbonates and Other Minerals

Polymers used in sealants based on butenes include polyisobutylene, polybutene, and cross-linked butyl rubber. They are formulated into both solvent-based and 100 percent solids products.

The major use for butylene sealants is the manufacture of insulating glass windows, often in the form of a hot melt. They are widely used in construction, mainly in lower-performance applications such as solvent-based caulks and rope caulks. Butylene sealants have some usage in OEM auto manufacture as body sealers and as tapes for glazing. However, they are primarily used in recreational vehicles and manufactured housing.

Specialty Minerals Precipitated Calcium Carbonates in Butyl Rubber and Butylene Sealants
Nano and ultrafine grades of Specialty Minerals Inc.’s (SMI’s) precipitated calcium carbonates (PCCs) are used in butyl systems to provide rheological control, viscosity build, sag and slump resistance, and physical reinforcement.

Both coated and uncoated PCCs can be used in butyl rubber and polybutene sealants. Recommended Specialty Minerals PCCs are:

  • Calofort® SM PCC – has an excellent balance of properties. It is a 0.07 micron nano, stearic acid-coated PCC manufactured in SMI’s plant in Birmingham, U.K.
  • Ultra-Pflex® PCC – has excellent dispersion, uniformity, and physical properties. It is a true nano PCC, 0.07 microns, coated with stearic acid. It is manufactured in SMI’s plant in Adams, Massachusetts.
  • Multifex-MM® and Calofort® U PCCs – are uncoated nano PCCs, 0.07 microns. These PCCs produce good rheology in butyl rubber systems and are manufactured in Birmingham, U.K. They are sold in the U.S. as Multifex-MM® PCC and in the rest of the world as Calofort® U PCC.

Click on a product’s name to download the technical data sheet for that product.

Click here to read about SMI’s line of PCCs, how they build rheology, why they are coated, and the role of dispersion equipment on efficiency. Then click here to learn about particle size, hydrophobicity, and surface moisture in the selection of a PCC grade for a given application. A PCC/sealant polymer application selector chart can be viewed by clicking here.


Other SMI Minerals for Butylene and Butyl Rubber Sealants
Calcium carbonates are widely used as fillers in butyl and butylene-based sealants, caulks, and tapes. They add non-thixotropic viscosity and reduce costs. Uncoated grades are the most economical while coated products offer better dispersion and lower oil absorptions, which allow higher loadings. Both ground limestone (calcium carbonate) and ground dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) can be used. Specialty minerals produce Vicron®, Marblewhite®, and Rivercal™ ground calcium carbonates (GCCs) and Dolocron® dolomites in the U.S. for sealant uses. Click here to learn more about SMI’s carbonate products for sealants.

Platy talcs improve the barrier properties of general-purpose butyl caulks, adding water resistance, chemical resistance, and weatherability. We recommend high-brightness Talcron® talcs, 1.2 microns to 8.0 microns, with controlled top sizes. Finer talcs add viscosity while larger talcs can be used at higher loadings. Click here to learn more about SMI’s talc products for sealants.

 

 

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