DSS-R.01.03 — Polysulfide / Polyurethane Smear

Polysulfide/polyurethane smear is an appearance change on glass from two-part polysulfide or moisture-cure polyurethane (PU) glazing/sealants transferred during application, tooling, masking removal, handling, or squeeze-out. It presents as amber-to-grey translucent veils, elastic drag tails/strings, and soil-laden bands adjacent to joints and corners. Classification is appearance-only per VIS (method-agnostic). Inspect after Non-Invasive Reveal under VIS lighting/geometry; record surface numbering and worked-surface status. Treat uncured chemistries per site safety.

• Joint-parallel bands and corner blooms where masking was lifted or squeeze-out was tooled; finger/cloth arcs at starts/stops.
• Amber (fresh polysulfide) → brown/grey with age; PU often appears straw to dark grey, can gloss in specular view.
• Elastic “drag tails” or stringers at wipe ends; preferential soil capture yields dirty halos over time.

Surface-catch class (MSRT)

• Typically SC-0 (film only) on clean substrate once residue is truly lifted.
• Avoid MSRT across active/elastic smear; if a small test patch is safely cleaned without abrasion, confirm substrate SC-0 there.
• Use a polymer stylus if a functional coating is suspected on the worked face. MSRT supports classification only.

Visual signature

• Joint-tracking geometry with drag/corduroy lines; elastic tails and stringers from pull-away; amber/grey veil that darkens with age/soil.
• No chip-flank sparkle (not mechanical scoring); no discrete fused nodules/pits (not hot-particle).

Viewing / lighting

• Evaluate clean & dry at 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal incidence and oblique sweep (~60°-120°); raking reveals drag texture, stringers, and soil catch. Record distances/angles in-frame.

Location / access

• Record pane ID and surface numbering (#1-#4; laminate-internal). If smear appears inside the IGU cavity (by parallax on #2/#3), classify CAT-5 by location (out of in-place scope) and refer.

Mechanism cue (context)

• Evidence of glazing/sealant work, masking lines, tooling sticks, squeeze-out cleanup, or fresh cartridges/mix heads near the affected zone.

Assign CAT by visibility impact at acceptance geometry after a controlled reveal test confirms substrate SC-0 on a small patch. Depth values are indicative-field measurement not required.

• CAT-1 (Benign / non-relief): Thin optical veil/print; SC-0 on clean substrate; visibility mostly at angle/raking. Indicative relief: 0-10 μm (optical).
• CAT-2 (Light): Persistent thin smear with soil loading legible at standard view; substrate SC-0 at a clean test patch. Indicative relief: ~10-40 μm (film).
• CAT-3 (Moderate): Broader bands/corner blooms with stringers/dirty halos visible at standard distance; SC-0 on substrate where truly cleaned. Indicative relief: ~40-120 μm (film stack).
• Reclassify when: After true residue removal, any modeled micro-texture or SC-class > 0 remains on substrate → evaluate under chemical etch (Ch.04/.05) or mechanical families as indicated.
• CAT-5 (by condition/location): Between-pane/inaccessible by parallax, integrity indicators (active cracks, pane movement), or confirmed functional-coating loss on the surface to be worked → CAT-5.

CAT is appearance-based; acceptance is separate under VIS-A §6 at 12/36/72 in. Do not abrade to “force” film removal during classification.

• vs. Silicone smear (R.01.01): Silicone reads oily/iridescent, lighter, with fine corduroy; polysulfide/PU reads amber/grey, more tarry, with elastic tails and strong soil catch.
• vs. Butyl/PIB smear (R.01.02): PIB is darker, very tacky, edge-line tracking at spacers; polysulfide/PU often adjacent to weatherseal joints and masking lines, not spacer lines.
• vs. Hydrophobic mismatch (Ch.06.02): Mismatch shows sharp wetting-behavior edges across open fields; polysulfide/PU smears hug joints and lack crisp wetting boundaries.
• vs. Mineral staining (Ch.03.02): Mineral veils are lighter, non-elastic, and follow spray/run geometry; polysulfide/PU shows joint-conforming bands with elastic stringers.
• vs. Coating anomalies (Co-family): Factory coating issues are sheen/color changes, typically #2/#3 faces; polysulfide/PU is field-applied residue on exposed faces, unless parallax shows cavity (then CAT-5).

• Photo set (VIS): 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal + oblique; include raking macros resolving drag texture, elastic tails, and soil catch; add context frames (masking lines, tools, cartridges). Record distance/angle in-frame.
• MSRT result (substrate only): After lifting a small test patch without abrasion, perform one light, non-marring pass on the clean substrate; record SC-class (expect SC-0). Avoid stylus over active elastic residue.
• Forms: Pane ID; product family & surface numbering; worked surface Y/N; functional coating present on worked surface? (Y/N/Unknown); reveal status; lighting/time; geometry checklist; photos attached.
• Acceptance split: Post-restoration acceptance per VIS-A §6; classification ≠ acceptance. Coated-face appearance rules apply per VIS §6.2.e when the worked surface is a factory functional coating.

• R.01.03 Polysulfide / Polyurethane Smear - Joint-adjacent amber/grey smear with elastic drag tails on surface #___; post-reveal test patch shows substrate SC-0; visible at [12/36/72 in] under VIS geometry. Morphology: drag/corduroy, stringers, dirty halos; no chip-flank sparkle, no discrete pepper. Classification: CAT-[1/2/3] by visibility (film-only). CAT-5 if between-pane by parallax, or coating-side loss on the surface to be worked. Forms + photo set attached; acceptance per VIS-A §6.