The elastomer market is one of the industries that are gaining traction nowadays. There are a sheer number of options to choose from, and they differ in terms of their physical properties. One of the highly sought out materials is silicone, which has made its ways in various products in the military, food, automotive, and medical world. It comes in many forms, like the silicone sponge sheet, solid silicone, and foam. In this article, you will be familiarized with the characteristics of silicone, its practical uses, and its different types.
Characteristics of silicone
The primary reason as to why many industries prefer silicone is due to its temperature resistance. It can tolerate temperature as high as 300°C and as low as -100°C. It is resistant to various environmental conditions like rain, frosting, snow, UV rays, and Ozone stresses. As such, it can be used for outdoor applications because it will not degrade.
Furthermore, silicone is characterized by a low compression set, which means that it can retain its original shape even when pressure is applied. It is also moisture and water-resistant, thus, preventing low water entry and absorption. Finally, because this material is an inert polymer and is non-reactive, it will not affect other products.
Practical uses of silicone
Silicone is typically used as a gasket, strip, or seal in the food and beverage industry. Due to its flexibility, it can respond well to precision sealing and prevention of leaks even when compressed. Its resistant properties also make silicone ideal for medical and food use because it does not cause and prevent contamination. As a result, silicone is widely accepted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Additionally, the automotive and mass transit industries also use silicone as a material to reduce vibration and noise. Finally, they are used as lighting and construction products for thermal insulation and shielding because of their capacity to absorb excessive or unwanted heat.
Different types of silicone
One of the widely used types in the market is the silicone sponge sheet. It is characterized by closed cells, which prevents the permeation of other substances. The classification of sponge sheets is based on its density. As such, there are firm density, medium density, and soft density sheets in the market. Firm density sponge can withstand compression up to 12-20 psi, but only has a tensile strength of 100 psi. On the other hand, both medium and soft density sheets can only deflect compression between 6-14 psi but have a tensile strength of 120 psi.
The second type of silicone does not have air bubbles in its composition, thus making it resistant to high pressure and torque. During production, solid silicone is first heated in the roller and pressurized in a vulcanizer to attain its desired hardness. It can be used commercially, but it is often produced for military purposes. Commercial-grade and military-type solid silicone vary greatly in terms of elongation and tensile strength, but they are almost similar in their hardness property.
The last classification of silicone is foam, which is often used in the automotive industry, specifically in electric and hybrid cars, due to its low compression ability, resistance to temperature, and durability in various environmental conditions.
Silicone is a synthetic material that has made its way in various industries. Each type may vary in terms of their properties, but they all have proven their effectiveness in the market.