Silicones are a household of high-performance materials whose unique molecular construction imply that they will come in many different varieties, including liquids, silicone rubber solids, semi-viscous pastes, oils, greases and rubber. We use this versatile rubber material in a range of settings, from visible, extremely aesthetic parts to food-grade kitchen utensils. In this article, Martin’s Rubber explains the advantages and disadvantages of silicone rubber.
What is silicone rubber?
Silicone is a outstanding materials. This semi-natural synthetic rubber (not to be confused with the chemical factor silicon) consists of a chain of silicon and oxygen atoms, as opposed to the carbon and hydrogen atoms prevalent in most different types of rubber.
This molecular construction is a blended blessing when it comes to silicone’s properties.
On the one hand, this spine of siloxane bonds gives silicone its low thermal conductivity, resulting in a particularly heat resistant and thermally stable material. Alternatively, whilst stable and flexible, silicone’s chain is weak, which suggests it tears easily.
Let’s look on the benefits and disadvantages of silicone rubber in larger detail.
Advantages of silicone rubber
Listed below are just a few of the principle advantages of silicone rubber:
Heat resistant
One in all the main advantages of silicone rubber is its heat resistance. It provides excellent high-temperature resistance, with some compounds in a position to withstand temperatures up to 305 °C. Silicone’s thermal stability means it retains its structure and properties over a large temperature range. This extends to low temperatures too, which implies this synthetic rubber can maintain its flexibility even at -100°C.
Hygienic
Have you ever questioned why so many kitchen utensils are product of silicone? Well, that’s as a result of another benefit of silicone rubber is its non-porous nature. This makes it resistant to bacterial build-up, making silicone significantly useful in meals and beverage applications, the place meals-grade compounds can present total peace of mind. Silicone can be non-toxic, silicone gadget water-repellent and recyclable at specialised plants.
Disadvantages of silicone rubber
Listed below are a number of the disadvantages of silicone rubber (site):
Tear strength
Certainly one of the foremost disadvantages of silicone rubber is its poor tear energy. This can be improved with the addition of other components, nevertheless it doesn’t naturally provide energy or xt_blog abrasion resistance, so the application needs to be rigorously assessed for the suitability of silicone as an answer.
Cost
One other drawback of silicone elastomers is that as a premium product they can include a equally premium value tag compared to another rubber supplies. Nonetheless, this initial outlay is usually offset by improvements in uptime and quality management. Once more, speaking to a specialist like Martin’s Rubber will allow you to realize a clearer understanding of silicone’s ROI close to your specific application.
Like all supplies, silicone has its benefits and shortcomings. Regardless of a few of its more spectacular qualities, it actually isn’t applicable for every software. To search out out more about the advantages of silicone or to debate how our rubber moulding services can support your software requirements in additional detail, converse to one in every of our friendly and educated specialists right here at Martin’s Rubber. They are going to be only too completely happy to offer their advice and steerage.