ABSTRACT
The success of silicone sealants in modern technologies has its basis in their capacity to form strong chemical bonds with the surface of the typical substrates used in curtain walls, e.g. aluminium, glass and granite. Resultant adhesive forces exerted across the interface exceed the cohesive forces between the sealant molecules and, thus, perfect initial adhesion is assured in the system. The emergence of various finishes applied to the surface of structural members, (e.g. a variety of polymeric coatings on aluminium, metallic and ceramic coatings on glass), however, results in significant variations of surface properties of the substrate which can lead to undesirable reduction of sealant adhesion.
