Inexpensive new instruments test building sealants under real-world conditions
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 - 12:01
in Physics & Chemistry
Sealants, like weather stripping, are what separates the inside from the outside of a building, byproviding a barrier that prevents water from seeping in, for example, or heat from leaking out. The challenge, says research chemist Christopher White of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is predicting when they will fail.