General Guidelines IndustryFebruary 2008 / Version 1Structural Silicone Glazing with Sikasil Adhesives February 2008 / Version 1 / Sika Services AG - 2 -General Guidelines Structural Silicone Glazing with Sikasil AdhesivesTable of Content Purpose and General Information 3Introduction 41. Design and Joint Dimensioning 42. Working Place Conditions 43. Surface Pre-treatment 44. Processing and Product Application 64.1 Two-component Structural Silicone Adhesives 64.2 One-component Structural Silicone Adhesives 84.3 Masking of Areas Adjacent to the Joint 85. Movement of Bonded Elements 96. Quality Assurance 106.1 Testing the Mixing Ratio (2-component products only) 106.2 Marble Test for Homogeneity (2-component products only) 106.3 Butterfly Test for Homogeneity (2-component products only) 116.4 Pot Life (Snap Time) Testing (2-component products only) 126.5 Skin-over Time and Tack-free Time (1-component products only) 136.6 Shore A Hardness Measurement 146.7 Peel Adhesion Test 146.8 Tensile Adhesion Tests on H-specimens 156.9 Visual Inspection 176.10 Factory Deglazing 186.11 Recommended Basic Quality Control Scheme 196.12 Recommendations for Logbook Content 20General Guidelines Structural Silicone Glazing with Sikasil Adhesives- 3 - February 2008 / Version 1 / Sika Services AGPurpose and General InformationThis document contains recommendations and hints for the application of Sikasil SG adhesives in structural bonding applications. These guidelines are relevant for the following products:- Sikasil SG-500- Sikasil SG-500 CN - Sikasil SG-18 - Sikasil SG-20 - Sikasil SG-20+- Sikasil GS-630The information herein is offered for general guidance only. Since structural sealant glazing is a critical application and conditions as well as substrates may vary greatly, the customer must test the suitability of the product for each specific project and contact Sika for advice.Sikasil adhesives in high demanding and critical applications, such as structural glazing or window bonding, may only be used after a detailed examination and written approval of the corresponding project details by the Technical Service Department of Sika Industry.For detailed information about specific silicone products and surface pre-treatment agents please refer to the actual Product Data Sheets (PDS), Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Calcula-tion Value Sheets. February 2008 / Version 1 / Sika Services AG - 4 -General Guidelines Structural Silicone Glazing with Sikasil AdhesivesIntroductionSikasil SG and Sikasil GS adhesives are condensation-curing, one- and two-part silicone prod- ucts suitable for bonding glass panes or insulating glass units to a support frame (usually: anodized aluminum, polyester powder-coated aluminium, PVDF-coated aluminium or stainless steel). This technique is known as structural silicone glazing.1. Design and Joint DimensioningJoints must be properly dimensioned as changes are no longer possible after construction or adhe- sive application, respectively. Basis for calculation of the necessary joint dimensions are the technical values of the adhesive and the adjacent building materials, the exposure of the building elements, their construction and size as well as external loads (wind, snow, climatic loads, etc.). Sika offers a comprehensive project service package including design reviews and structural joint dimensioning. For more information please contact the Technical Service Department of Sika Industry.2. Working Place Conditions The working place should be as dust-free as possible. Ideal conditions are 23C (73F) and 50% relative humidity. As these conditions are usually attainable only in laboratory, one should try to make the plant conditions as close as possible. Although Sikasil SG and Sikasil GS adhesives may be processed within 5 - 40C, the optimum application temperature of the products is between 15 and 30C.All substrates must be stored under the same conditions (i.e. between 5 and 40C) at least 24 hours prior to the application of Sikasil SG or GS in order to avoid condensation on the surfaces.3. Surface Pre-treatmentSurfaces must be clean, dry and free from oil, grease and dust. Place the glass or panel to be glazed. Care must be taken to not contaminate pre-treated surfaces during any phase of production. If contamination occurs, surfaces have to be pre-treated again.The following information is offered for general guidance only. Advice on specific pre-treatment meth-ods based on laboratory adhesion tests will be given on request. Please note that with the exception of clear float glass, Sika has to test the adhesion of structural silicone adhesives on a project-by-project basis on production-run samples of the original materials used in the specific project. It is binding to use the surface pre-treatment agents recommended in the laboratory report, otherwise General Guidelines Structural Silicone Glazing with Sikasil Adhesives- 5 - February 2008 / Version