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First self-cleaning glass sealant: SMX 505
Cleaning Function Self-cleaning glass is available from Pilkington (ActivTM) as well as from Saint-Gobain Glass (SGG Bioclean®). These glass types have a dual functionality which uses the forces of nature to help keep the glass free from dirt, thus dramatically reducing cleaning efforts and cost.
The functionality is based on two principles:
Unfortunately, the latter property also limits the installation of these glass types to silicone-free sealed frames. Silicone sealants are hydrophobic and can contaminate areas of glazing up to 10 cm inside of the frame and effectively mask the self-cleaning mechanism, so raindrops ‘pearl’ on the surface and no longer wash away dirt particles. This leads to an unattractive ‘picture frame’ effect where the edge of the window becomes dirty whereas the center area will remain clean. SMX® 505 gets the job done! To overcome this issue, Soudal now launches the first ISO 11600 G – 20LM approved sealant especially developed for use with self-cleaning glass between glass and window-frames in residential housing projects. This product: SMX® 505, was tested and approved for Pilkington ActivTM Glass as well as SGG Bioclean®. It is applied onto the glass without primer, is completely silicone-free and leaves the self-cleaning function completely unaffected. SMX® 505 is approved by IFT (Institut für Fenstertechnik) in Together with SMX 505, Soudal offers a complete solution for self-cleaning glass installation. For perimeter joints between brickwork and window frames, Soudaseal 215 LM is an excellent elastic sealant without effect on self-cleaning properties. |
Soudal, the Belgian manufacturer of specialty chemicals for the construction industry has been at the forefront of sealant and PU foam technology for several decades. With the arrival of self-cleaning glass, yet another challenge was tackled in the Soudal laboratories.