Pipe thread sealants are used in various types of machinery and engines that contain tubes and piping to move fluid through a system. These sealants hold pipe plugs in place and strengthen as well as seal piping.

D 6396, Standard Test Method for Testing of Pipe Thread Sealants on Pipe Tees, defines procedures used to assemble, evaluate, and test pipe thread sealants useful for machinery and engine manufacturers, sealant and adhesive suppliers, and design engineers.

The test method “offers manufacturers and suppliers a means to determine and quantify strength of the thread sealant and resistance to aggressive environments,” says Tech Service Manager Dennis Damico, Lord Corporation, Erie, Pa., who participated in the development of the test method. Standard D 6396 tests:
--Cure speed versus temperature;
--Primer cure;
--Instant seal/sealability;
--Heat aging;
--Solvent and steam resistance;
--Hot strength; and
--Specimen preparation for high pressure testing.

Engineers, users, and suppliers of pipe thread sealants developed the test method as a task group of ASTM Subcommittee D14.80 on Metal Bonding Adhesives in Committee D14 on Adhesives.

For further technical information, contact Dennis Damico, Lord Corporation, Chemical Products Division, 2000 W. Grandview Blvd., Erie, PA 16514-0038 (814/868-3611, ext. 3289). Committee D14 meets Oct. 23-25 in Orlando, Fla. For meeting or membership details, contact manager Len Morrissey, ASTM (610/832-9730). //

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