Focus on areas with many corrosive elements in the air

Seaside-compliant sealing of corner joints at aluminum window profiles

In areas with a lot of corrosive elements in the air, the installation of aluminum windows always requires extra attention: at the coast (salt precipitation), near swimming pools (chlorides) or in regions with a lot of train-tram traffic (iron-copper particles) or heavy industrial emissions (chemicals). Even on the street side, road salt can have a pernicious effect on the service life of aluminum window profiles. Proper protection of the entire profile is essential to prevent corrosion and premature damage. Novatio offers tested solutions for Seaside-compliant seals of corner joints.

Protecting entire aluminum window profiles in demanding regions proves not always obvious. Installers often opt for Seaside C5M or Qualité Maritime certified powder coatings, which are more resistant to elements such as salt spray and acid rain and consequently minimize the risk of corrosion. However, the corner joints of the window profiles remain a weak link in all of this. 

Alternatives 

"At corner joints, the aluminum remains 'exposed' and consequently the risk of corrosion is significantly higher. To still successfully bond and seal these joints, some certified products already exist today. However, these are often expensive and have a limited shelf life. The call for worthy alternatives is therefore very great," says Bram Starckx, technology manager at Novatio. 

"Naturally, we at Novatio were happy to look for solutions. With ACO-210 Anticorro, HMS-210 Frame Sealant Trans, Seal & Bond MS22 X and Seal & Bond Sealtrans, we first identified some sealants as possible alternatives. Then we knocked on the door of METALogic, a renowned Belgian family business within corrosion control and recognized as an official test lab for Qualicoat, among others. After all, we wanted to have these products tested in full compliance with the Seaside criteria in order to also have the proof in black and white." 

For these tests, a window profile with a Seaside certified coating was cut in two and rejoined with one of the sealants. At right angles to this saw cut, a horizontal scratch was then made. This served as a reference and was to indicate how strong the deterioration would be without protection. Thus, one could easily compare the deterioration of the sealed saw cut with that on the scratch.

Testing

The test pieces were subjected to two tests: the Filiform Corrosion Test and the Acetic Acid Salt Spray Test. In the former, the test pieces are exposed to hydrochloric acid for one minute, after which they are placed in a climate chamber for 1,000 hours at a temperature of 40° C and a humidity of 82%. After the test, filiform corrosion is examined. This type of corrosion often occurs in places where no coating or too thin a layer of coating has been applied. To meet the strict criteria, these filaments may have a maximum length of 4 mm, with the average length of all filaments not exceeding 2 mm. 

For the Acetic Acid Salt Spray test, test pieces are exposed to a combination of acetic acid and salt spray for 1,000 hours. Here, possible infiltrations are examined. These may not exceed 4 mm with a total area of no more than 16 mm² per 10 cm. All products passed both tests.

Proof of conformity

"We knew in advance that certification was not possible; because that is only for coatings. However, it did not stop us from having the tests done," concludes Bram Starckx. "We value quality and transparency and based on these test results we can already show installers that we have several suitable products to seal corner joints Seaside-compliant. During Polyclose 2024, we will be happy to welcome everyone to our booth to discover these and other products and developments."