What Are The Properties Of Silicone Rubber?

The basic structural unit of silicone products is composed of silicon-oxygen chains, and the side chains are connected to various other organic groups through silicon atoms. Therefore, the structure of silicone products contains both 'organic groups' and 'inorganic structures'. This special composition and molecular structure make it integrate the characteristics of organic matter and the function of inorganic matter. Compared with other polymer materials, the most outstanding properties of silicone products are:

1. Temperature resistance

Silicone products are based on silicon-oxygen (Si-O) bond as the main chain structure, the bond energy of C-C bond is 82.6 kcal/mol, and the bond energy of Si-O bond is 121 kcal in silicone /molecule, so the thermal stability of silicone products is high, and the chemical bonds of molecules are not broken or decomposed under high temperature (or radiation exposure). Silicone is not only resistant to high temperature, but also low temperature, general silicone temperature is -60 ℃ ~ 200 ℃, can be used in a wide temperature range.

2. Weather resistance

The main chain of silicone products is -Si-O-, and there is no double bond, so it is not easy to be decomposed by ultraviolet light and ozone. Silicone has better thermal stability, radiation resistance and weather resistance than other polymer materials. The service life of silicone in natural environment can reach several decades.

3. Electrical insulation properties

All silicone products have good electrical insulation properties, and their dielectric loss, withstand voltage, arc resistance, corona resistance, volume resistivity and surface resistivity are among the best in insulating materials, and their electrical properties are affected by temperature and frequency. impact is small. Therefore, they are a stable electrical insulating material and are widely used in the electronics and electrical industries. In addition to excellent heat resistance, silicone also has excellent water repellency, which is the guarantee of high reliability of electrical equipment in wet conditions.

4. physiological inertia

Polysiloxanes are among the most inactive compounds known. They are very resistant to biological aging, have no rejection reaction with animals, and have good anticoagulant properties.

5. Low surface tension and low surface energy

The main chain of silicone is very flexible, and its intermolecular force is much weaker than that of hydrocarbons. Therefore, it has lower viscosity, weaker surface tension, lower surface energy, and stronger film-forming ability than hydrocarbons of the same molecular weight. This low surface tension and low surface energy are the main reasons for its many applications: hydrophobicity, defoaming, foam stabilization, anti-sticking, lubrication, glazing and other excellent properties.