Many people are familiar with RTV in the automotive and industrial machinery fields, where it is commonly used as a sealing material between structural surfaces. Although it may seem simple, RTV plays a crucial role in ensuring reliability and performance. However, do you really know what RTV is and how it works? In short, RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) is a type of silicone that cures when exposed to room temperature immediately, mainly used in industries, like automotive, machines, electronics. Today, let’s take a closer look at this remarkable chemical material and uncover what makes it so special.
What is RTV
RTV, or called Room Temperature Vulcanizing, is a type of silicone that cures when exposed to room temperature immediately. RTV is a term used for silicone rubber materials, which have various common application forms, such as gasket makers, sealants and adhesives, potting compounds, and casting silicones.
These one-part RTV products make use of moisture in the atmosphere to cure from the outside towards the center. The time to cure will decrease with an increase in temperature, humidity and surface-area-to-volume ratio. Let’s take SANVO RTV makers as an example. The surface drying time (min/25℃) is less than 15 minutes, and the curing speed (mm/24h) is more than 2.5 (25℃，50-75%RH). As for two-component RTV silicone, it uses moisture and active alkoxy to cure the silicone, which is called condensation curing.
An RTV product features easy-operation, water repellent, no deformation. Unlike natural rubbers that get easily deformed and are sticky, RTV very stable, which means it has excellent high-temperature resistance, acid and alkali resistance, and ageing resistance. Meanwhile, RTV is available in textures ranging from 15 shores to 40 shores. This favorable hardness ensure RTV can meet the needs of various applications.
The Application of RTV
According to the different types of RTV, they have their own special application areas. RTV products are primarily named according to their use and function. RTV-1 (single-component) is mainly used for sealing and bonding, while RTV-2 (two-component) is mainly used for molding and encapsulation.
| Type | Applications | |
|---|---|---|
| RTV-1 | RTV Gasket Maker | Vehicle, large generators, engine oil pan, valve, water pump, etc |
| RTV Silicone Sealant | Building walls, door and window sealing, industrial equipment enclosure sealing, etc | |
| RTV Silicone Adhesive | Electronic component fixing, sensor bonding, small appliance bonding, etc | |
| RTV-2 | RTV Silicone Rubber | Industrial parts mold making, resin decorative item molds, precision casting, etc |
| RTV Encapsulating Compound | Power modules, transformers, PCB circuit boards, and sensors, etc | |
| RTV Casting Silicone | Handicrafts, prosthetics/special effects skin, medical models, flexible parts, etc | |
RTV-1
RTV-1 is characterized by its curing process, which relies on moisture in the air. It contains gasket maker, sealant and adhesive.
· RTV gasket maker is usually a paste-like substance, packaged in tubes. SANVO RTV gasket makers are one-component products, which are mainly made by silicone rubber, fillers, fluoro silicone rubber, high-temperature resistant additives, and some special models contains metal powder, like sliver gasket maker, gold RTV maker. There is also high-temp RTV maker for specail applications, for example, SANVO 588 high-temp RTV‘s temperature resistance is greatly improved ( -60℃～300℃), ideal for Exhaust pipes, ovens, ect.
As a chemicals manufacturer, SANVO RTV sealants can be widely used in the static sealing of engines, gearboxes, cylinders, axles, and other parts of motorcycles and various mechanical equipment. In addition, they can also be used for flat sealing of electronic, chemical, and mechanical equipment. If you want to learn more detail, click here to browse our “RTV Gasket Maker.”
· RTV sealant, or called silicone sealant, is one of the most widely used types. SANVO silicone sealants retain their elasticity and stability in harsh environment, forming tight seals around objects, which makes them work for wide applications, such as windows & doors repairs, outdoor walls, sinks, etc.
· RTV adhesive, also called silicone adhesive or silicone adhesive sealant, has higher adhesion that sealant,but still belongs to the category of flexible bonding. It is usually used to bonding metal, plastic and glass. For example, SANVO TB541 silicone sealant is particularly designed for bonding mirrors in all kinds and sizes without harming the mirror.
RTV-2
RTV-2 is suitable for thick-layer/deep-section applications (such as potting and large molds) because it cures through a chemical reaction, hardening uniformly from the inside out.
· RTV Mold Making Rubber possesses excellent tear resistance and high fidelity replication capabilities; it is available in condensation-curing and addition-curing types. It is widely used in industrial parts molding, plaster/resin decorative item molds, shoe molds, and precision casting.
· RTV potting compound cures uniformly regardless of thickness, providing insulation, moisture protection, and shock resistance. It is suitable for encapsulating power modules, transformers, PCB circuit boards, and sensors.
· RTV Casting Silicone offers various options in terms of hardness and biocompatibility. Hardness is measured using the Shore A scale, with applications ranging from softer molding resins and plaster crafts to extremely hard industrial sealants. In terms of biocompatibility, it is classified into industrial grade, skin-safe grade, food grade, and medical grade. RTV Casting Silicone has a wide range of applications, from body molding to medical catheters.
Conclusion
RTV, or Room Temperature Vulcanizing silicone, is more than just a gasket maker. Understanding what RTV is—and how its different forms are used—helps engineers and users select the right solution for durability, flexibility, and long-term reliability.
SANVO is a leading adhesives and sealants manufacturer. It produces high-quality products owing to its experience and high-end production equipment. Apart from making customers happy by satisfying their needs, SANVO has gone the extra mile to set standards for the industry. It has won various accolades thanks to its hard work in the research and development of cutting-edge products.
SANVO is an ISO45001, ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified brand. All the sealants meet international standards. Whether you are in the automotive, furniture, transportation, marine, or construction industry, SANVO adhesives are the best. Tighten and harden the bonds using SANVO sealants and gaskets on many types of surfaces. Contact us if you have any queries or to receive a custom quote.
