The Science Behind Slime Tire Sealant
September 10th, 2020
What exactly is Slime tyre sealant? How does it work? Is it a foam? Is it a glue? How is it magically repairing my tyre?
These are all questions we frequently get asked here at Slime. And while it might seem like magic in a bottle, Slime is much more like a science experiment! Let’s dive into what is actually going on inside your tire when you inject Slime.
Slime is a liquid. A bright green, thick liquid.
There is no air inside your Slime bottle, just the powerful puncture preventing liquid.
The liquid doesn’t expand (like a foam) when it enters your tire. Instead, as your tire rotates, the liquid coats the inside of the tire (Which is why Slime doesn’t work inside inflatables – no rotation. It just pools at the bottom).
Slime repairs flats with a mechanical seal, meaning physical particles actually plug up the hole. There is no chemical reaction at the puncture site.
These physical particles are a combination of long and short fibres, as well as rubber particles (Those little black bits you see mixed in with the green). We call this special mixture of particles Fibro-Seal technology.
The sealing process is fairly uncomplicated:
Imagine you are blowing up a balloon. Just as you go to tie the end, you accidentally let go and all the air whooshes out of the neck of the balloon.
Slime takes advantage of this same process. When your tire gets a puncture, and all the air starts whooshing out, it pulls the Slime tire sealant toward the hole, where the physical particles stop it up.
Unlike some science experiments, Slime is not messy and it doesn’t smell. In fact, it is an environmentally safe formula, so it is non-toxic, non-hazardous and non-flammable. And we understand that flat tires happen regardless of how hot or cold the weather, so Slime is effective under the most extreme temperatures (low freezing point of -35˚F and a high separation point of 182˚F). Finally, the Slime eco formula is water-based, so the tire sealant cleans up easily with water and a rag.
While Slime’s tyre sealants all operate under the same sealing principles, they are not the same formula. Slime offers three distinct formulas, each designed to solve a different flat tyre repair:
Red Label: Tube Sealant to Prevent and Repair
The red label line of Slime products is designed specifically to stop flats in tyres with tubes. Tubes are the key word here. Your bicycles, dirt bikes, hand dollies, wheelbarrows and jogging strollers with tubes are perfect candidates for the red label product. It prevents flats from thorns, glass, nails and other debris for two years!
Blue Label: Non-Highway Tubeless Tire Sealant to Prevent and Repair
Here at Slime, we think of our blue label sealant as the “fun” sealant because it keeps the fun going in all your recreational vehicles. Your ATVs, quads, boat trailers, dirt bikes, tractors, riding lawn mowers and other non-highway tires without tubes are going to love this Slime tyre sealant that prevents and repair flats. Like the tube sealant, it also continuously seals for two years, stops slow leaks and includes non-corrosive properties to keep your wheels safe.
Yellow Label: Highway Tire Sealant for Emergencies
When you find yourself in an emergency flat tire situation (like stuck on the side of a super busy highway. Or in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service), it is time to think yellow label. Slime’s tyre sealant for emergencies is designed for all highway vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles and more) to get you back on the road quickly and safely after a flat tire. It also includes non-corrosive properties to keep your wheels safe. Once the yellow label emergency sealant is installed, it must be removed within 100 miles or 3 days.
That’s it! You now know the secrets behind the magic curtain that is tire sealant. You can feel confident that the sealant you are putting into your tires will do the trick to prevent and repair flats. Learn more about the different tyre sealants here:
