Polysulphide Sealant

Years?????

Did you heat cure it?

Incorrect ratios, old, out-of-date material, poisioning of catalyst all may be a factor.

Give much more specific information about this uncured batch.

Have you tried a test batch???

More info....................................

What about manufacturers name and product information?

Hi Lyn,

It is 11-12 years old. Corrosion found on the mable fixture due to water leakage through the sealant.

I do not know whether it is heat cure, out of date material, as there is no record.

What is posioning of catalyst ? Will this affect the curing process and how to determine this problem. This happen on all sealant joints.

As it has been more than a decade, the design drawing specified Polysulphide Sealant and understand the product is likely supplied by Yokohama.

Question: What chemical can assess whether the material seen is polysulphide sealant?

Pls advise. thanks

Does it really matter? It has likely "reverted" (de-polymerizied) and is turning back into a soft state. Time, humidity and heat are enemies of this polymer. Polysulfide is brown, but may have been tinted with carbon black.

It should be removed and replaced with a modern sealant.

As the name suggests it may smell like sulfur.

I think someone goofed.

It looks to me like someone used a 1 part asphalt roofing compound that is designed to seal roof penetrations. It is also designed to form a thin skin on the outside and remain soft underneath.

Rather than trying to remove it, my advice would be to use a tool to push it further into the cracks, carefully clean the edges of the grooves with solvent, and recaulk with a moisture cure polyurethane caulk. It will last decades.

SikaFlex has some great products.

http://www.sika-distributor.com/sika-joint-sealants-waterproofing.html

Here's a distributor in Singapore:

http://www.aquaintl.com/sikaflex.html

I agree with Kram, replace it...

Note: Don't get a newly mixed batch of polysulphide sealant on your hands or your clothes. It'll take forever to wear off your skin, whereas it'll never come out of you clothes (you might as well throw them out)!

remove the old sealant, replace with true silicone sealant. It comes in tubes and also 5 gallon buckets, but it cures with air born moisture and comes in several colors. Depends on how much you need. Perhaps a few tubes will do. The 5 gallon bucket must be used once opened. You can also buy larger tubes. Try Home Depot

The polysulphide was cheaper back in those days, but now all the silicone patents are gone and silicone is far better.

No. Not silicone!!!

If and when it does fail.........................which it will..................the silicone will be permeated into the stone. Anything that is used in the future, (including more silicone), is destined to fail. It won't stick.

There is a time and a place for silicone...................this isn't it.

I have had great success with silicone, many of my uses will outlive me and I installed them 30 years ago. As to adherence, you have to prepare the old silicone properly and use a bridging agent like sil-net or sil-fix

I've had success with it too, but there are far superior products (IMO) for filling joints in stone work, that are specifically designed for the job. Tooling is much easier too. Along with having a variety of colors available, the aesthetics of the finished product will much better than using silicone.

I have to admit though, as a person that applies paint for a living, my hatred for silicone is probably stronger than my love for it. Show up at an automotive paint shop with an open tube of silicone caulk and you're liable to get shot.

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<...Question 1: Is this acceptable value range?...>

To whom? In connection with which standard?