Sealants

Industrial Sealants for Australian Construction, Fabrication and Maintenance

Sealants close gaps, weather-seal joints, bond materials together, and hold their integrity for years against UV, water, temperature cycling, and movement. For Australian construction, fabrication, plumbing, glazing, and maintenance work, the right sealant is the difference between a joint that lasts the building's life and a callback within twelve months. AIMS Industrial supplies industrial sealants across the chemistry types Australian trade users actually need, from established brands including Loctite, Permatex, Helmar, and OSI.

The sealant chemistry types we stock

• Silicone sealants — flexible, weatherproof, UV-resistant; not paintable; standard for sanitary and exterior weather seals
• Polyurethane sealants — strong adhesion, paintable, handles wider movement than acrylic; standard for fabrication and structural sealing
• MS polymer (hybrid) sealants — combines silicone-like flexibility with polyurethane-like paintability; the modern default for many applications
• Acrylic sealants — paintable, easy application, suits indoor general-purpose joints with limited movement
• Butyl sealants — non-curing, suits weatherproofing applications where flexibility over decades is the priority
• Specialist sealants — high-temperature, fire-rated, food-grade, and specific industrial applications

Where each sealant type earns its place

• Silicone — sanitary and bathroom, exterior glazing, weather seals on metal-to-metal joints
• Polyurethane — fabrication, panel sealing, masonry expansion joints, structural-bonding applications
• MS polymer — modern multi-purpose default; window/door sealing, panel work, applications where paintability and movement both matter
• Acrylic — internal trim and skirting, low-movement caulking, paintable indoor applications
• Butyl — roofing details, automotive weatherproofing, applications where remaining flexible for decades matters

Choosing the right sealant — the three questions

1. What's the substrate? Porous (concrete, timber, masonry) versus smooth (metal, glass, plastic) versus coated (painted steel)
2. Will the joint move? Movement requires flexibility; rigid joints can use stronger but less flexible chemistry
3. Does it need to be paintable? Silicones aren't; most others are

Get those three right and the chemistry choice is usually obvious. Get any one wrong and the sealant fails: silicone under paint peels, acrylic on a moving joint cracks, polyurethane on contaminated substrates doesn't bond.

Surface preparation — the make-or-break

Australian sealant failures trace overwhelmingly to surface preparation rather than sealant choice. Clean the substrate (degrease, remove dust and old sealant), let it dry completely, prime where the data sheet calls for it, apply within the manufacturer-specified temperature range. Don't apply silicone over old silicone — the two won't bond, and the new silicone fails. For dissimilar materials, primers are usually required for adhesion.

Brands stocked at AIMS

Loctite covers the structural and engineering sealant range. Permatex stocks automotive and gasket-specific sealants. Helmar supplies the broader Australian-distributed range across construction and trade applications. OSI provides specialist construction sealants — see our dedicated OSI page.

Companion ranges at AIMS

Sealants sit alongside our broader sealing and bonding range — see multi-purpose sealants, pipe sealants, sealant applicators and removers, and industrial putties for the related products.

Need help matching a sealant chemistry to a specific application or substrate? contact our team — we'll work through the joint, environment, and movement requirements.