Preparation and properties of an antimicrobial silane-modified polyether sealant

Sealants are easily subjected to microbial attachment, colonization, and deterioration in humid environment. Developing antimicrobial sealants have become an extremely imperative strategy to solve this problem. A kind of antimicrobial sealant was prepared with silane-modified polyether (SMPE) as a matrix and 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyldimethyloctadecylammoniumchloride (TPOAC) as an antimicrobial agent in a room-temperature curing system. The tack-free time testing indicated that the introduction of TPOAC can significantly accelerate the curing rate of sealants. The effects of TPOAC on the mechanical, bonding, and thermal properties and surface wettability of the antimicrobial SMPE sealants were investigated through mechanical testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and water contact angle measurement. The mechanical properties of sealants were improved with an appropriate content of TPOAC, and the sealant exhibits optimal mechanical properties with the TPOAC content of 1.5%. Furthermore, TGA results indicated that the thermal behavior of SMPE sealants displayed a one-step weight loss process by heating in a nitrogen atmosphere and the introduction of TPOAC has little effect on the thermal stability of SMPE sealants in a nitrogen atmosphere. Moreover, the sealants exhibit more and more hydrophobic with the amount of TPOAC increased. The findings of this investigation indicated that using TPOAC as an antimicrobial agent is a practical way to obtain antimicrobial SMPE sealants with favorable properties.