The 7 Best Applications of Silicone Rubber
Silicone rubber is characterized by an unusual combination of properties that include excellent electrical insulation, high-temperature performance, durability, and transparency.
This high-performance elastomer is used in a wide range of industries.
Before you start to search for a good silicone distributor, you have to look at the best applications of silicone rubber.
1) Gaskets
Silicone rubber gaskets are high-performance mechanical seals that have extraordinary resistance to extreme temperatures.
These gaskets can prevent leaks between different substrate sections.
They have excellent temperature resistance that makes them ideal in both hot and cold environments.
Also, silicone rubber has excellent UV and ozone properties that make them suitable for outdoor applications.
Silicone rubber does not react with the majority of chemicals, and hence these gaskets are prevalent in medical and industrial applications.
2) Vibration Dampening
Silicone rubber can withstand low and high temperatures better than organic rubbers. This is the primary reason for companies using silicon rubber as raw material for anti-vibration products.
The vibration isolation capabilities of silicone rubber are excellent, and it shows no change in its vibration dampening capabilities even at 150°C.
Silicone rubber can be used at 200°C for 10.000 hours. If you get it from the best silicone distributor, you may find products that can sustain up to 350°C for short periods.
Hence, a large number of sound products find silicone rubber suitable as a material for rubber components used for vibration dampening in high-temperature environments.
3) Thermal Insulation
Silicone rubber foam is used as a material of choice for several heating applications. It is available in a wide range of sheet thickness.
These high-temperature foam backings improve heater efficiency by preventing heat loss. The silicone foam sheet insulation has an operating temperature of 200°C with intermittent exposures to 250°C.
4) Lighting
Choosing the right material for LED light is important as repair costs and significant downtime can occur if the electrical enclosure is not resistant to dust, moisture, or water ingress.
Material engineering specialists recommended using a high-performance closed-cell made of silicone rubber sponge that has excellent heat and weathering resistance along with several other protective properties.
Silicone rubber has super sealing properties. It is lightweight and can withstand high temperatures that make it an ideal material for outdoor and indoor LED lighting applications.
The material is used in a wide range of lightings, such as general outdoor lighting, mass transit lighting, automotive lighting, stadium lighting, and street lighting.
Here is a look at the industry-specific applications of silicone rubber:
» Automotive – According to silicone rubber material experts, it has varied applications in the automotive industry. It helps in the manufacturing of spark plug tires, sealants, gaskets, water pump gaskets, valve covers, engine covers, heat exchangers, and radiators.
» Electrical and Electronics – Silicone rubber is used in connectors, parts for energy transmission, cable terminators, insulators, connectors, engine gaskets, and control unit gaskets.
It also has varied lighting applications like floodlighting, illumination, diffusers, reflectors, and lens molds.
» Medical and healthcare – The product has excellent biocompatibility. Its main applications include baby bottle nipples, tubing, catheters, medical gaskets, valves, O-rings, respiratory care, masks, medical equipment, medical textile coating, and medical cables.
So, you can see that properties like good chemical resistance, excellent tear strength, weather-ability, and electrical insulation make silicone rubber the material of choice in diverse industries.