Why use a Loctite® Thread Sealant?
Loctite® Thread Sealants, available in liquid form or as sealing cord, prevent leakage of gasses and liquids. Designed for low and high pressure applications, they fill the space between threaded parts and provide an instant, low pressure seal. When fully cured, they seal to the burst pressure of most pipe systems.
Loctite® Sealants are much superior to traditional sealant types:
• Solvent-based sealing compounds: Shrink during cure as solvents evaporate. Fittings must
be re-torqued to minimise voids. They lock the assembly by a combination of friction and
deformation.
• PTFE tape: Lubricates in off direction, allowing fittings to loosen under dynamic loads and
resulting in loss of clamping force and leakage. Dynamic loads may accelerate creep, causing
leakage over time. The lubricating effect of PTFE frequently results in over-tightening of
fasteners, adding stress or causing breakage of parts. Application requires good professional
skills to avoid stressing fittings or castings.
• Hemp & Paste: are slow to apply and require a lot of expertise, are messy to assemble, and
interfere with the torque needed to obtain the correct pre-stress. Frequently require re-work to achieve a 100 % seal of the assembly.
Advantages of Loctite® Thread Sealants as compared to traditional sealant types:
• Single-component – clean and easy to apply
• Does not creep, shrink or block systems
• Can be used on any size of pipe fitting
• Replaces all types of tape and hemp/paste sealants
• The seal resists vibration and shock loads
• Grades with several approvals, e.g. Loctite® 55 Sealing Cord: Potable water (KTW) and Gas (DVGW) approvals
• Protect mated threaded areas against corrosion