Air-Seal offers tyre sealant tips
Air-Seal Products has offered its perspective on the key characteristics that a high-performance tyre sealant should provide.
“Whether your tyres are tubed, tubeless, high-speed, low-speed, on-road, off-road, or even water ballasted, Air-Seal Products can help,” said the company.
“The key word is ‘preventative’. The tyre sealant should be installed into the tyre as early in its life as possible so punctures can be sealed the instant they occur. A modern tyre sealant is a suspension of synthetic fibres and fillers in a thickened ethylene or propylene glycol (anti-freeze) and water ‘carrier system’, which allows the fibres and fillers to move within the tyre in liquid form.
“When a puncture occurs, the air loss in the tyre propels the suspended fibres and fillers into the puncture site where the fibres snag on the rubber. These fibres tangle in the wound which stops air escaping. As the tyre rotates, the flexing of the rubber packs more fibres into the hole until no more will fit.
“The fillers (extremely small particles) will then pack in-between the fibres to form a permanent airtight seal that will last the life of the tyre.”
The fibres constitute the backbone of the tyre sealant, says Air-Seal; the stronger the fibres, the stronger the repair.
“For example, Air-Seal Products use some of the strongest, abrasion-resistant synthetic aramid fibres, which were specifically chosen to ensure punctures are sealed for the life of the tyre,” said the firm.
“Once a strong plug has been formed by the fibres, the filler particles provide the final seal by lodging in between the fibres and forming an effective, air-tight seal.
“The only purpose of the liquid portion of the sealant formulation is to carry the fibres and fillers to the site of the puncture, however, if a sealant separates then it will not perform effectively. Beware of sealants that show signs of separation in a container or require shaking or mixing before use.”
Air-Seal says its products have an indefinite shelf life, meaning it would still perform perfectly in 100 years’ time.
“Most tyre sealant users in this country will experience below freezing temperatures at least a few times per year. Be sure that your sealant is freeze protected to prevent the possibility of a horrendous vibration caused by a lump of ice in your tyres – not to mention that ‘ice cubes’ don’t seal punctures,” the company further advised.
“A good sealant such as Air-Seal Products will be protected down to minus 35 degrees centigrade.”
Air-Seal also highlighted the importance of sealant that is inert – meaning that it will not react chemically with any part of the tyre/wheel assembly, which it says is critical to maintain the manufacturer warranty on both. Air-Seal offers a “purely mechanical” repair, said the company, and advocates that no reaction should take place at all.
“Most (if not all) tyre sealants contain water, and we all know what happens to metal after prolonged exposure,” the firm continued.
“The same technology used to prevent corrosion and rust in water cooling system works in sealants. Ensure that your sealant contains corrosion inhibitors like Air-Seal Products before you put it into those tyre and wheel assemblies that could cost hundreds to replace.”
While the most dramatic benefit of a high-performance tyre sealant is the prevention of flat tyres from punctures, the company says additional benefits are available when using the right sealant – such as the prevention of slow air-leaks, said to stop under-inflation of tyres, increase fuel efficiency up to three per cent, and increase tyre life up to 20 per cent.
“This will also reduce the risk of catastrophic failures such as blowouts (on-road) or ‘bead roll-offs’ (off-road),” said Air-Seal.
