How Does Microsealant Technology Work in Eternabond?

Microsealant technology is responsible for the strong backbone inside Eternabond tape. Just by properly applying the strips to a crack, a waterproof seal is instantly created. Countless satisfied customers, including RV owners and roofing contractors, are familiar with this feature, but they’re probably not acquainted with the chemical ingenuity that makes that hallmark feature possible. In this post, we’re going to pull back the curtains and figure out the tech.

How Does Microsealant Technology Work? 

Effecting a dependable, conformable and watertight bond, the tape stops water in its tracks. In order to make a product like this work, a primer has to activate as the tape is applied. Thanks to microsealant technology, that primer is part of the bonding formula. It’s incorporated into the synthetic polymer, which is formed into a spongy tape alongside the sealing agent. As soon as the release liner is removed and the tape contacts the cracked or poorly joined surfaces, it begins to stick. However, the twin bonding agents haven’t fully activated yet. To do so, apply pressure as the strip is applied.

The Discrete Package Theory 

If only there was a microscope nearby, because that’s what it would take to see deep inside the synthetic polymer base. Deep inside the tacky stuff, there’s a resin substructure supporting the microsealant formula. Little packages of primer and sealant hang suspended in that plasticized layer. Just by pressing the tape on a surface, the material gains traction, but it’s not carrying out its secret chemical reactions. No, it takes pressure, perhaps a roofer’s roller, to activate the chemicals. Now, with the suspended chemicals in contact, the adhesive uses microsealant technology as a fusing mechanism.

Prepping the Joint Zone 

Clean the application area and make sure it’s completely dry. Having carried out this important prep stage, check to see if the surface is clean. If it’s not, apply denatured alcohol or another approved cleaner. Leave the surface to dry again, and take that opportunity to cut a few sections of Eternabond tape to length. Carefully remove the release liner, gently position the strips as required, and press them down until they fuse. And remember, a straight-edged tool is handy here, for trapped air (tenting) can create leak zones, a spot where the tape doesn’t fully fuse to the contact surface.

There’s a number of Eternabond products on the market. They’re the putty-like sealants and webseals that waterproof cracked roofs in recreational vehicles and leaky ceilings. Common among them all, Microsealant Technology is the chemical backbone that provides fusing strength. Importantly, however, that waterproof seal can only properly take form when pressure is consistently applied from one end of the cut length to the other.