In any apartment there are many threaded connections in the gas supply, heating or water supply, which must be completely sealed. In the past, various herbal or artificial sealants have been used to achieve this goal. But recently, the newest sealing material has appeared on the market - anaerobic sealant for threaded joints. Let's find out what is the principle of its operation and what advantages or disadvantages does it have compared to traditional seals?
Operating principle
What is an anaerobic sealant? It is a liquid polymer, due to the unique properties of which the complete sealing of joints is achieved without much effort. These substances were synthesized back in the 50s of the last century, but for a long time they were used only in military or space development. When anaerobic sealants appeared in the public domain, the inhabitants quickly appreciated the convenience of their use and the quality of the joints obtained. Therefore, these materials quickly won a solid niche for themselves when used in plumbing, plumbing and gas supply.
The unique quality of anaerobic sealants is that their composition cures only where it comes into contact with metal in the absence of air. In these places, a strong plastic is formed, which does not change its volume during crystallization.
In the liquid state, the composition completely fills the entire threaded gap, and the excess is easy to remove. They come into contact with air, so they remain liquid and do not freeze. Outside, they are easy to remove with a brush or rag, and inside the pipe they are simply washed off with water.
Anaerobic sealants are completely safe and environmentally friendly.
Varieties
Anaerobic compounds vary in the degree of strength they impart to a threaded joint. Accordingly, the scope of their application also changes:
- For connections that will be disassembled quite often and will not experience high loads, a low strength composition is suitable.
- If it is planned only to periodically disassemble for the purpose of service maintenance, then a sealant with average strength indicators should be used.
- For systems with high pressure, shock and temperature loads, it is better to take an adhesive sealant. What is anaerobic thread adhesive? This is also a polymer composition that hardens upon contact with metal without air access, but with a stronger fixation of the joint. It is much more difficult to disassemble a joint sealed with this substance. Therefore, it is assumed that these elements will be dismantled only as a last resort.
Benefits of Anaerobic Sealants
Anaerobic formulations have many advantages over traditional sealants:
- For sealing, no additional materials are required, one composition is enough. If you use, for example, a sealant such as flax, then you will need to additionally look for red lead and drying oil.
- The composition in the liquid state completely fills the threaded gap and does not shrink, which after hardening ensures complete tightness. It is not prone to swelling, the excess of the composition will simply squeeze out during installation, which makes it possible to use these sealants when sealing joints made of fragile materials.
- Anaerobic sealants can be used in high temperature ranges.
- Ease of use. It is not necessary, as when using flax or FUM tape, to carefully wrap the sealant around the thread. Tightening is done by hand, without the use of keys, which guarantees the integrity of the seal and connection elements.
- Profitability.Excess compound from the outer surface can be carefully collected and used to seal another area. After dismantling, carrying out the subsequent assembly of the connection, it is not necessary to remove the old layer of sealant, you can apply a fresh composition directly on top of it.
- Environmental friendliness. The material is completely safe for human health. Anaerobic sealants can be used in potable water systems.
Flaws
This material also has disadvantages, but very few:
- At temperatures below +15˚С, the hardening process slows down significantly. Additional heating of the joint may be required.
- The use of compounds with strong fixation significantly complicates the process of disassembling the assembly, additional devices may be required.
- To achieve maximum effect, the surface of the thread must be dry and free of grease. You can use a solvent for this.
- It is not always possible to find an anaerobic sealant with the right parameters in any hardware store. However, reputable organizations usually have a rich selection of such materials.
Application rules
How to use an anaerobic sealant? Very simple:
- The tube with the composition is shaken well several times.
- On the cleaned and prepared surface, the composition is applied directly from the neck of the tube. Sometimes a special brush is included in the kit. The sealant should evenly cover the entire surface of the thread.
- Screw the connection by hand. To evenly distribute the composition, you can twist the fittings a little.
- Collect any excess that comes out from the outside of the joint.
More clearly, the whole process is presented in the video.
How long will the anaerobic sealant dry? On each package, the manufacturer indicates the time during which the solution hardens. But usually the sealant is enough for 15 minutes to dry. Do not forget that at low temperatures this process slows down significantly.
Choosing the Right Sealant
Anaerobic adhesives are currently produced by many manufacturers. In order not to get confused in the variety of the assortment, you should first of all trust the well-established products of well-known companies. When choosing a material, operating parameters must be taken into account.
What are the operating parameters to be guided by when selecting a sealant? First of all, these are the features of the thread: size and material. You should also take into account the temperature conditions and the requirements for fixing the connection.
Anaerobic sealants Loctite ("Loctite") have proven themselves well in the Russian market. This company produces various products, among which you can choose plumbing adhesive with the necessary parameters. Compositions "Loktite" are reliable, the price for them starts from 1700 rubles. for a 50 ml tube.
The products of the domestic company "Region Spetstechno", known under the brand name "Santekhmaster gel", are also in great demand. Anaerobic sealant "Santekhmaster" is available in 15 ml tubes, the price is from 150 rubles. With a half-inch thread, this volume is enough to process 30 fittings. "Santekhmastergel" is not afraid of aggressive environments, can be used to seal systems with gasoline, alcohol or antifreeze. It tolerates high pressure and temperature well.
Of course, when repairing an apartment, the owner is unlikely to need all the properties of the described compositions. But when sealing a heating, gas or plumbing system, an anaerobic sealant can not only significantly facilitate the work, but also provide a high-quality long-term result.
