DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix
DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix
DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix
One-part silicone with immediate initial strength for panel bonding applications
Applications DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix is an elastic one-part neutral curing silicone sealant
specifically designed for panel bonding applications that require high durability and fast
handling. It provides immediate strength directly after application. DOWSIL™ 896
PanelFix is a silicone which shows primerless adhesion to a variety of substrates such
as anodized and mill finish aluminum, and mineral substrates and provides high
strength once fully cured. DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix is not suitable for structural glazing
applications.
Description DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix is a one-part, neutral curing alkoxy silicone sealant specifically
designed for non-glass facade applications to structurally bond two substrates together.
Neutral alkoxy silicones cure at room temperature on exposure to water vapor in the air,
giving off a small amount of alcohol (Methanol).
Technical Panels bonded with the DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix System consistently meet industry
Specifications and standards and requirements.
Standards
The DOWSIL™ PanelFix System has been certified by the British Board of Agrément
(BBA), Agrément Certificate Number 16/5306.
Green Strength DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix provides high durability and immediate Green Strength directly
after application. Once applied and fully cured, DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix is able to withstand
dynamic and permanent loads.
Please come back to our technical service experts to calculate and define the correct joint
dimension according to the final service life conditions.
The property of instant Green Strength can eliminate or decrease the usage of tapes for
pre-fixing depending on the panel sizes. It is therefore able to enhance productivity, can
save time and labor cost. DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix provides very good durability and is
superior to organic sealants due to its UV- and temperature resistance. The immediate
Green Strength is about 4–5 times higher than standard sealant which gives additional
safety during the production and assembly process.
High humidity level and higher temperatures accelerate the cure process and lead to earlier
skin formation.
For further information please contact your local technical service engineer, who can help
determining the required joint dimensions.
How to Use DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix is a ready to use silicone sealant. It provides excellent strength
and adheres to a wide range of most common panel bonding materials such as mineral
substrates and metal (anodized aluminum, stainless steel, etc.).
DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix can be used for manual applications using a manual gun for
cartridges or sausages. It is also suitable for semi- or even fully automated robotized
applications.
Due to its low stringing, and high Green Strength, DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix provides good
ease of use, workability and a higher compressive strength in an uncured state.
As it is a moisture curing sealant, the reaction starts at the surface exposed to moisture and
cures in depth. The deeper the joint is, the longer it takes the sealant to cure completely.
The initial Green Strength takes over initial loads, but to provide full strength and movement
capability with elastic recovery it needs to be fully cured. Moisture has to migrate further to
the already cured skin and as this skin becomes thicker, the reaction slows further down.
The combination of initial Green Strength overlapping with the strength build up during cure
makes the DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix superior versus standard one part and silicone
sealants.
As one-part silicones need moisture to cure, the joint depth is limited to 14–15 mm as a
maximum. Joints deeper than that will not completely cure. The deeper the joint is, the
longer it takes to fully cure.
Cleaning
Substrates must be clean prior to application to ensure adhesion durability. All surfaces
must be clean from contaminants and residues such as grease, oil, dust, water, frost,
surface dirt, old sealants or glazing compounds and protective coatings. Solvent should be
wiped on and off with clean, oil- and lint-free cloths.
Priming
For each project separately, it is essential that adhesion to all concerned surfaces should be
tested before application. If adhesion requires priming, a primer such as DOWSIL™ 1200
OS Primer is in general recommended for metal substrates and DOWSIL™ Primer P for
mineral substrates. When priming, the ventilation time at room temperature is indicated on
the primer label.
Priming should be done within 4 hours after cleaning. If there is a greater time delay,
cleaning process has to be repeated again. Project specific priming regulation needs to be
discussed and approved by your local technical department. Please contact your local
technical service engineer for further assistance.
Maintenance No maintenance is needed once sealant has been properly applied and cured. If panels
need to be replaced or sealant becomes damaged, sealant joint has to be cut back as much
as possible. DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix will adhere to cured silicone sealant which exhibits a
clean knife-cut or abraded surface.
Equipment Once sealant is used in conjunction with a dispensing equipment, dispensing system needs
Cleaning to be air-tight and moisture tight as otherwise sealant will start to cure over time. Normally
there is no specific cleaning required as it is a one-part silicone sealant. Material which
stays uncured in the nozzle, will start to cure. To avoid that, nozzle should be covered with a
moisture tight material such as metal.
Usable Life and When stored at or below 30°C in the original unopened containers, DOWSIL™ 896
Storage PanelFix has a usable shelf life of 12 months from the date of production.
Packaging For manual application this product is provided in 310 ml cartridges and 600 ml sausages.
Information Other container sizes on request possible.
Limitations DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix must not be used for structural glazing applications in façade or as
a sealant for insulating glass units.
Because of the risk of incompatibility, DOWSIL™ 896 PanelFix must not come into contact
with, or to be exposed to, sealants that liberate acetic acid.
This product is neither tested nor represented as suitable for medical or pharmaceutical
uses.
Health and To support customers in their product safety needs, Dow has an extensive Product
Environmental Stewardship organization and a team of product safety and regulatory compliance
specialists available in each area.
Information
For further information, please see our website, dow.com or consult your local Dow
representative.
Disposal Dispose in accordance with all local, state (provincial) and federal regulations. Empty
Considerations containers may contain hazardous residues. This material and its container must be
disposed in a safe and legal manner.
It is the user’s responsibility to verify that treatment and disposal procedures comply with
local, state (provincial) and federal regulations. Contact your Dow Technical Representative
for more information.
Customer Notice Dow strongly encourages its customers to review both their manufacturing processes and
their applications of Dow products from the standpoint of human health and environmental
quality to ensure that Dow products are not used in ways for which they are not intended or
tested. Dow personnel are available to answer your questions and to provide reasonable
technical support. Dow product literature, including safety data sheets, should be consulted
prior to use of Dow products. Current safety data sheets are available from Dow.
dow.com NOTICE: No freedom from infringement of any patent owned by Dow or others is to be inferred. Because use conditions and
applicable laws may differ from one location to another and may change with time, Customer is responsible for determining
whether products and the information in this document are appropriate for Customer's use and for ensuring that Customer's
workplace and disposal practices are in compliance with applicable laws and other government enactments. The product shown
in this literature may not be available for sale and/or available in all geographies where Dow is represented. The claims made
may not have been approved for use in all countries. Dow assumes no obligation or liability for the information in this document.
References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean the Dow legal entity selling the products to Customer unless otherwise expressly
noted. NO WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN; ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.
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