Mechanical Properties of Silicone Rubber
- Silicone rubber has several uses.Silicone image by Artyom Rudenko from Fotolia.com
The Dow Chemical Company produced the first commercial grade silicone rubber in 1943 and since then manufacturers of apparel, cooking supplies and appliances, machinery and a host of other things have depended upon it for its strength, resistance to extreme temperatures and elasticity. The mechanical properties of silicone rubber make it useful for for a wide variety of mechanical and electrical engineering applications and its only major drawback is its high cost. - Silicone rubber is a synthetic rubber that can withstand extremes in temperature that would destroy natural rubber. The properties of silicone rubber remain constant when cooled to negative100 degrees Celsius or heated to 250 degrees Celsius. This characteristic of silicone rubber makes it an excellent choice for use in kitchen appliances for either freezing or cooking food. Silicone rubber is a popular choice for window and door seals because it can withstand extreme temperatures but is a good insulator. Thus it will help to keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
- Silicone rubbers are very flexible due to large bond angles and bond lengths and can be elongated 100 to 1100 percent before they break. These large bonds can move and change conformation to make for a flexible material. They have a Shore hardness of 10 to 90 on the A scale. This means that while silicone rubbers are flexible, they are also resistant to scratches, abrasions and wear. Silicone rubbers are particularly remarkable for their extremely low glass transition temperature. They remain flexible at temperatures as cold as negative100 degrees Celsius. They tend to stiffen up at very high temperatures, however. Silicone rubbers are flexible but have a low tensile strength, which means that care should be taken when silicone rubbers are used in load-bearing applications.
- Silicone rubbers are often used in medical applications because they are extremely non-reactive and resistant to hydrocarbons, oils and solvents. Silicone rubber is a very popular material for medical implants such as breast implants. While it is flexible and durable, silicone rubber will not dissolve when exposed to oils or other liquids. It is also extremely sanitary since it has a silicone backbone instead of a carbon one and is resistant to bacteria and germs. Silicone rubber's resistance to oils and solvents makes it a good choice for automotive and aeronautic applications since is can function in oiled machines without heavy wear and tear.
