 New Polywater® Splice Shield™ Sealant |
Last week we introduced new Splice Shield™ Taped Splice Sealant. Now we delve deeper into the product's purpose and its competitive advantages. We're all familiar with electrical tapes, which vary by type but are commonly used to protect electrical splices and terminations in new construction, and to repair wires or cables damaged by any number of activities, including excavation in underground environments and renovation in aboveground building construction. But electrical tape alone is inadequate in many situations. It can’t always prevent moisture, oil, or other contaminants from damaging cables and causing eventual failure. To increase reliability and safety of taped connections, 3M Company developed Scotchkote™, a waterproof coating applied over the tape to provide additional sealant protection. But as mentioned last week, Scotchkote is banned in 17 states (CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI & VA) for containing the flammable solvents methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and toluene. 3M has a replacement product called Scotchkote FD--of which many companies are unaware--but FD contains acetone, which is also highly flammable. Competitive Advantage #1: new Splice Shield contains no MEK or toluene and is banned nowhere. Competitive Advantage #2: Splice Shield contains no MEK, toluene or acetone and is not highly flammable. The Scotchkote ban is based on environmental concerns. MEK and toluene are solvents with high VOCs--volatile organic compounds that contribute to photochemical pollution (smog) and are regulated at the state level. Acetone is VOC exempt by law. These solvents have health risks related to inhalation toxicity, which result in low TLV’s (threshold limit values)--the level over which continued exposure leads to adverse health effects--and PEL's (permissible exposure limits)--the legal limit for employee exposure. The more dangerous the chemical, the lower the TLV and PEL. Acetone is also toxic, but less so than MEK or toluene. Competitive Advantage #3: Splice Shield has no VOC content for reduced environmental impact. Competitive Advantage #4: Splice Shield contains no solvents, has no TLV or PEL limits, and is safer for use. Next week we'll share even more competitive advantages. |
