![]() |
Echelon Sports Pty Ltd |
---|
SILCA Ultimate Tubeless Sealant uses the power of a foaming latex formula combined with chopped carbon fibers to boost sealing power even at higher pressures. Ultimate Tubeless Sealant contains 5% by volume, 6, 9, and 12mm chopped carbon fibers which have been reclaimed from recycled bicycles, carbon wheels, race cars, and aircraft components.
A unique foaming latex formula allows for the very lightweight carbon fibers to be evenly dispersed within the sealant while riding, which allows for a higher fiber content than possible with Kevlar or fiberglass. At this high fiber loading, bundles of carbon fiber are carried directly to the puncture by the sealant flow where thousands of micro-bubbles collapse on each other, depositing their high stiffness carbon fibers over the hole. During this process, the carbon fibers form a dam of fibers against the tire casing not unlike a beaver dam of sticks blocking the flow of a stream. This dam of high stiffness/high strength fibers has been shown to seal holes in testing up to 7.5mm, some 25% larger than conventional technologies.
After the puncture is sealed, that area of the tire is left with a zone of carbon fiber reinforced latex bridging the top and bottom of the hole, helping to reduce the likelihood of future punctures in that area when compared to other sealant additives such as cornmeal, glitter, or fiberglass. This superior sealing ability and hole reinforcing ability of the carbon fiber also allows for a higher concentration of anti-freeze agents in the sealant which means more effective sealing at low temperatures (6mm holes seal at -7°C), as well as longer lasting sealant (7-9 months depending on humidity).
We recommend adding Replenisher every 90-120 days depending on temperature and humidity where you live (see chart) to rejuvenate the sealant. Replenisher can also be used to replenish sealant on very porous tires during initial install. Some casing tires are very porous and will experience weeping of sealant throughout the casing sidewalls. Testing shows that weeping sidewalls can reduce sealant volume by 30% during the install, while also accelerating the aging of the sealant. Adding 30-50% of sealant volume back with the Replenisher can ensure optimum performance and maximum life.
Since the beginning of tubeless tires for bicycles, sealant manufacturers have all been working along the same performance continuum. All sealants start as either a natural or synthetic latex rubber which is then thinned with a solvent of some sort as well as an anti-freeze agent (sometimes the solvent is also the anti-freeze agent). Many companies add particles to these mixtures that become lodged in the puncture to help slow the flow of sealant and to promote sealing. These particles have been everything from glitter, to microfiber, fiberglass, walnut shells, and even cornmeal.
When developing the formulas, manufacturers have always had to balance the same trade-offs… less solvent or antifreeze results in sealants that can seal larger holes, also dry out much faster. Examples here are Orange Seal or Stan’s Race Day, these contain high latex / low solvent/anti-freeze percentages and high particulate loadings giving them the ability to seal holes up to 6mm. The downside, however, is that both of these need to be replenished or replaced every 4-6 weeks and as soon as 2 weeks in hot/dry conditions.
On the other side of the coin, you have original Stan’s and Orange Seal Endurance, both of which contain higher percentages of solvent/anti-freeze allowing them to last much longer, 4-6 months inside the tire, but then are not as capable of sealing larger holes, in fact, the long-lasting formulas sacrifice up to 50% of puncture sealing ability!
This is where the magic of carbon fiber comes into play. Having the highest stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratio of any sealant additive, the combination of very light carbon fibers combined with foaming technology guarantee excellent, even dispersion throughout the sealant so that they can very quickly be carried to a puncture when it occurs. The stiffness of these fibers means that they immediately begin bridging and damming the puncture as soon as it occurs, rapidly capturing subsequent fibers behind them as more sealant exits the hole. This rapid sealing effect means that punctures seal faster and with less air pressure loss.
FiberFoam® technology is so effective, that it actually makes SILCA Ultimate Tubeless Sealant impossible to pump through a valve or into a syringe in the first place! In our testing, the fiber dam was able to plug syringe holes up to 8mm when filling and will plug the valve every single time, so it must be poured into the tire upon install.
This is why we created SILCA Ultimate Replenisher, a version of the sealant with no carbon fiber and a few percentages higher of anti-freeze, which is capable of replenishing old sealant while also being “pumpable” through a syringe.
Tyre Size | Initial Ultimate Tyre Sealant | First Replenisher | Second Replenisher | Third Replenisher |
---|---|---|---|---|
23-30mm | 60mL | 30mL | 45mL | 60mL |
30-45mm | 90mL | 45mL | 60mL | 90mL |
45-60mm | 120mL | 60mL | 90mL | 120mL |
60-75mm | 150mL | 75mL | 105mL | 150mL |
FAT | 175mL | 90mL | 135mL | 175mL |