Anaerobic Sealants for Pipes
Introduction
To maintain the tightness of sealing for air or liquid, all joints, flanges and threads must be
free of leakage. Since its foundation, Three Bond has developed sealants to prevent leakage.
Recently, we developed a highly reliable anaerobic sealant to prevent leakage from the threadsof metallic pipes. This issue introduces that sealant, ThreeBond 1110D, and describes its characteristics and use.
Hereafter, ThreeBond is abbreviated to TB in product names.
Contents
Introduction ··································1. Current methods for sealing
pipes ·········································
1-1. Applications and types ofpipes ··································
1-2. Connection methods andsealants ·····························
2. Comparison of anaerobic andsolvent-type adhesives ·············
2-1. Hardening and curing········
2-2. Setting time ·······················
2-3. Easy handling····················

122222332-4. Coating amount ·················
2-5. Reliability ···························
3. Characteristics of TB1110D······
3-1. Physical properties ············
3-2. Strength and removability··
3-3. Curing at low temperature·
3-4. Sealing performance ·········
4. How to use TB1110D ···············
4-1. Procedure ··························
4-2. Notes ·································
5. Conclusion································

3334456667811. Current methods for sealing pipes
1-1. Applications and types of pipes
Table 1 shows the general applications and types ofpipes. Steel is the most common material for pipes,
and sealants are indispensable to prevent leakage
from steel pipes.

Table 1. Applications and types of pipes

Pipe types
Steel pipe
Steel pipe lined withVinyl chloride
Steel pipe coatedwith poly-powder
Coated steel pipe
Stainless steel pipe
Copper pipe
Steel pipe coated onoutside surface
Cast iron pipe
Vinyl pipe
Polyethylene pipe
Lead pipe
Hume concrete pipe
Flexible pipe

Coolingwatero

Application
Water sup- Drain,Vapor,
NaturalRefrigerant ply, FireOil
Ventilation
gas
extinguisher
oooooooooooo

1-2. Method of connection and sealants
Pipes are most commonly connected by means offlanges, welds, and threads. Table 2 lists connection
methods and the sealants used with each of them.
Liquid sealants, most often solvent-type, are widelyused for joints with threads.
2. Comparison of anaerobic and solvent-typeadhesives
2-1. Hardening and curing
The main difference between anaerobic and conventional sealants for piping is their resin component
and their curing mechanism.
In the sealants now in common use, special polymer resin is dissolved in solvent. As the sealantevaporates, the resin returns to its original state; thatis, it solidifies.
The anaerobic type does not use solvent. Rather, it
polymerizes by a chemical reaction, and therefore it“hardens.”
A solvent-type sealant loses volume as the solvent
evaporates. Since an anaerobic sealant contains nosolvent it loses little volume (Fig. 1).

2oLP gasoooooooooooooooooo

Table 2. Pipe joints and sealants

Bonding method
Flange bonding
Welding bonding
Screw bonding

Sealant
Solid gasket-------Liquid sealant

The following sections describe the differences
between anaerobic and solvent-type adhesives.

Fig. 1. Solidifying and hardening

2-2. Setting time
Solvent-type adhesive requires setting time to let
the solvent evaporate after the sealant is coated on
the threads. Anaerobic sealant does not need thistime; the thread can be fixed as soon as it is coated.
This substantially reduces the working process time
(Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Working process
2-3. Easy handling
A solvent-type sealant increases in viscosity whenever the container is open, because the solvent evaporates. Anaerobic sealant contains no solvent, so its
viscosity remains constant. Also it comes in a tube,
which is convenient to carry and handle.
2-4. Coating amountAnaerobic sealant, unlike solvent-type sealant,
does not have to be applied to the entire thread.
Applying a small amount to the male threads before
fastening yields a good seal. One tube of sealant willseal many joints. For a 3/4-inch pipe, you need only
about 0.3 g to seal a joint well.
Table 3 shows the approximate amount of coating
needed for different bore sizes.
3. Characteristics of TB1110D
TB1110B, a predecessor of TB1110D that is stillsold today, can be used to bond the threads of metallic pipes. However, it has several problems. For
example, it is hard to detach connected pipes, or evento determine the area where TB1110B has been
applied, because its color is semi-transparent. Pipes

2-5. Reliability
Anaerobic sealant forms a fine three-dimensional
network structure after it is cured, offering excellent
resistance to chemicals, solvent, heat, and weather. Itgives higher fixing strength than solvent-typesealant, and effectively prevents screws from loosening.
Table 3. Coating amount

Bore (inches)

3/4

1

unit : g2

Solvent type
Anaerobic type

0.5
0.3

0.7
0.4

1.5
0.8

connected with TB1110D are easy to detach. Also,
TB1110D is elastic, and a coating of it is easy tocheck. So, TB1110D is suitable to use on pipes.
In the next section, the physical properties ofTB1110D are compared with those of anaerobic
sealants used for other purposes.

33-1. Physical properties
Table 4 shows the physical properties of TB1110Dand anaerobic sealants used for other purposes. Allof these products come in tubes and have high viscosity and high thixotropy, which prevent them fromrunning down after they are applied.

Table 4. Physical properties of TB1110D and other anaerobic sealants

Test itemUnitTB1110D
Appearance-------Milky white paste
Viscosity Pa·s {cP}
25 {25000}
5.5
Thixotropic ratio-------1.15
Specific gravity-------For metal pipeNotebounded by screws;
good demountability

TB1110B
Cream color
34 {34000}
6.5
1.11

TB1130White paste
14.5 {14500}
4.8
1.15

Strong fixing
strength

For taper plug

Note
BH, No6, 202/20 rpm
Specific gravity cup

3-2. Strength and removability

kgf/cm or more. TB1110B is best when you want aAs Fig. 3 shows, the break loose torque of sealants
increases in proportion to curing time. TB1130 takes
more than 24 hours to cure completely and reach its
maximum break loose torque. The break loose
torque of TB1110B rises quickly, and the final
strength is stronger, but pipes connected and sealedwith this sealant cannot easily be detached with an
ordinary wrench, because the strength reaches 2,000

sealant that cures quickly and forms a strong joint on
pipes that will probably not be detached. TB1110D,
like TB1110B, cures completely in 24 hours, but its
final strength is weaker than that of TB1110B and sopipes connected and sealed with it can be detachedwith an ordinary wrench. For pipe joints that need
periodic maintenance, TB1110D is best suited.

Fig. 3. Curing speed (25°C)
Test conditions
Test piece: 3/4-inch steel pipe, degreased
Tightening torque: 58.8 N·m {600 kgf·cm}

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3-3. Curing at low temperature
The curing speed of anaerobic sealants is affectedby the surrounding temperature. Special care must
be taken when curing at low temperature, because thecuring speed slows down. As Fig. 4 shows, at lowtemperature curing slows down and the break loose
torque does not increase fast. In such cases, a primer(curing accelerator) can be used to accelerate the curing speed and increase the final strength.
With a primer, Fig. 5 shows, the adhesive cures ata sufficient speed even at low temperature. Also, aprimer contains ingredients that increase the finalstrength.

Fig. 4. Curing time at low temperature
Test conditions
Test piece: 3/4-inch steel pipe, degreased
Tightening torque: 58.8 N·m {600 kgf·cm}
Curing temperature: 5°CFig. 5. Curing time at low temperature, primer process
Test conditions
Test piece: 3/4-inch steel pipe
Tightening torque: 58.8 N·m {600 kgf·cm}
Curing temperature: 5°C
Used primer: TB1390

53-4. Sealing performance
Tables 5 and 6 show the initial sealing performanceof anaerobic sealants. As Table 5 shows, TB1110D,TB1110B, and TB1130 offer good sealing perfor-mance even shortly, after tightening.
Table 6 shows that after 24 hours no leakage isobserved with any of the three sealants.

Table 5. Sealing characteristics (short term)
Compressed medium
WaterAir
Antifreeze

Test method
3TS-350-92
3TS-350-92
3TS-350-92

UnitMPa {kgf/cm2}
MPa {kgf/cm2}
MPa {kgf/cm2}

TB1110D

TB1110B

TB1130> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}> 3.43 {35.0}

Note
*1
*1
*1

Tested pipe : 3/4-inch steel pipe. Tightening torque : 58.8 N·m {600 kgf·cm}. Measurment started 5 minutes aftertightening.
*1 Compression speed : 0.49 MPa {5 kgf/cm2}/minute. Peak pressure, 3.4 MPa {35.0 kgf/cm2}, not sustained.
Table 6. Sealing test (24 hours later)
Compressed medium
WaterAir
Antifreeze
Turbine oil of JIS type 2

Test method
3TS-350-91
3TS-350-91
3TS-350-91
3TS-350-91

Unit-----------------------------

TB1110D

TB1110B

TB1130Note*2
No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality *2
No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality *2
No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality *3
No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality No leak, abnormality

Tested pipe : 3/4-inch steel pipe. Tightening torque, 58.8 N·m {600 kgf·cm}. Hardening condition, 25°C for 24hours.
*2 Compression speed, 0.49 MPa {5 kgf/cm2}/minute. Peak pressure, 3.4 MPa {35.0 kgf/cm2}, sustained for 1hour.
*3 Compression speed, 0.98 MPa {10 kgf/cm2}/minute. Peak pressure, 9.8 MPa {100 kgf/cm2}, sustained for 1hour.
4. How to use anaerobic sealants
4-1. Procedure
The following describes the procedure for applying
an anaerobic sealant.

(1) Using a cloth, remove debris and cutting oil left
on the pipe in the cutting process, and remove
grease with solvent.
(2) Coat the male threads except one or two at thetop, with the sealant, and clamp the joint to theproper torque (see Table 7).
(3) Wipe excess sealant off the pipe with a cloth.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Table 7. Tightening torque

Normal diameter(Inch)
1/2
Standard tightening torque (kgf·cm) 400
6

3/460011000

1 1/41200

1 1/2
1500

22000

2 1/22500

33000

4-2. Points to remembera. Excess sealant
In using anaerobic sealants such as TB1110D andTB1300, one needs to keep in mind that they cureonly on metal, within a certain temperature range,
and any excess does not cure if exposed to air. If any

excess sealant runs inside a pipe and remains
uncured, it might clog the filters (Fig. 6). To prevent
excess sealant from running into the pipe, leave one
or two male threads uncoated when you apply thesealant.

Fig. 6. Excessive sealant in the pipeb. Primer
As was mentioned above, anaerobic sealants curemore slowly at low temperature. It is recommended
that you use TB1390, a primer (cure accelerator) forthe preprocessing, when the temperature is at 10°C
or below. TB1390 is a spray-type, and is easy to use.
To use it, do the following:(1) Using a cloth, remove foreign matter and residual
cutting oil on the pipe after it is cut, and remove
oil with solvent (same as for the normal temperature).
(2) Spray the pipe threads thoroughly with TB1390.
(3) When the sealant dries, follow the same procedures to assemble the pipe.

c. Removing oil
TB1110D can absorb a small amount of the cutting
oil with no loss of sealing performance. An excessive amount of cutting oil, however, can lower sealing performance, by hindering the adherence ofmetal and sealant.
Therefore, be sure to remove oil before sealing.

Fig. 7. Residual Cutting Oil

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5. Conclusion
TB1110D, a new grade of anaerobic sealant, wasreleased in 1998.

We hope to gather more information about our customers’ requirements so that we can provide themwith the support they need.

Three Bond Co., Ltd.
Research and Development DivisionT. Nemoto

Reference
Ministry of Construction, Government Building Dept. (Ed.)“Common Specifications for Works on Mechanical Equipment”

1456 Hazama-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 193-8533, Japan
Tel: 81-426-61-1333

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