Pipetite® Stands the Test of Time

Pipetite® forms a flexible, sanitary seal around a pipe where it passes through a wall or ceiling. It's hygienic silicone construction allows for significant movement of the pipe, without breaking its seal.

Pipetite is often viewed in terms of its use inside plants, but did you know that it’s also a solution for sealing outside pipes or lines? Recently, a Pipetite user asked if the product’s silicone rubber would remain pliant indefinitely, and the response was a resounding, “Yes.”

100% silicone rubber will remain pliant or flexible indefinitely because there are no fillers (which are typically used in rubber or low-grade silicone products) in the product. Additionally, the silicone itself is extremely UV stable.

The image below shows a standard Pipetite wall boot after it was tested in a weather-testing machine (QUV) for 6352 hours. 1000 hours of accelerated age testing is used as an equivalent of 25 years of outdoor use. After the equivalent of 158 years of outdoor use, you can see that the product shows no sign of degradation and remains flexible.

Contributing to Pipetite's durability its fire-resistance characteristics and temperature rating of -40° to 500°F. Here’s a breakdown of the fire-resistance characteristics of Pipetite’s flexible silicone.

Pipetite’s temperature rating relates to the long-term service temperature of the silicone. More specifically, this is usually associated with the temperature of the pipe around which the Pipetite is installed, as it is in contact with the silicone. Six years ago, Pipetite was installed at a dairy plant inside milk powder dryers. The temperature in the dryers stays above 440°F, yet these Pipetite products are still in service currently.

While Pipetite® is not fire-rated, it does the job of sealing the non-hygienic fire-rated material inside the wall and out of your hygienic process. It is designed to hygienically seal the penetration, including sealing in the fire-rated material.

Fire-rated products (typically intumescent, fiberglass, or foam) should not be exposed in hygienic environments. A stainless steel flange has no fire rating, as well. However, the flange does not seal in the fire-rated material into the wall, while Pipetite does.

Degradation is virtually a non-issue when it comes to Pipetite. Without the typical fillings found in most low-grade silicone, the product stands the test of time and natural elements.