Varied Uses of Silicone Rubber

28 October 2010- Silicone rubber is used today in a large number of advanced manufacturing and production processes, right from tires to tubes, keypads to cake pans. Silicone rubber is easy to manufacture and formulate. Available in different hardness and colors and also in various formulations for manufacturing, molding and curing, silicone rubber is indispensable in the manufacturing of many products. Used with the right technologies, silicone rubber offers innovative manufacturing solutions and design opportunities.

Electronics/Electrical

Silicone rubber is used for making electrical insulating tapes, adhesives, sealants, circuit boards coating, varnishes, resins, lubricants, optical fiber coatings and many other semiconductor-grade silicon and silicon-source chemicals. Keyboards, keypads, hard coating housings for computers, telephones, facsimile machines, and home entertainment equipment are all made by silicone rubber.

Aerospace

Silicone rubber is used in many aspects of aircraft assembly and maintenance. Used in making space suit fabrics, boots, windshield, rubber tooling, abrasion-resistant coatings, adhesives, optical interlayer laminates, seals and gaskets, and tooling materials.

Construction

In construction and building, adhesives, sealants and coatings made of silicone rubber make construction materials work better and longer. Silicone adhesives join diverse materials like glass, granite, concrete, steel, plastics etc. Silicone rubber is used for making construction adhesive /sealants, architectural coatings, silicone roof coatings, water repellents, concrete pavement joint sealants etc.

Food Processing

For food processing applications like antifoams, bakeware coatings, silicone rubber is very popular.

Automotive

Silicone rubber which is heat, oil and fuel-resistant is used for molding into a variety of durable parts used in automobile. There are sealants and adhesives, materials for noise, specialty lubricants, materials for vibration, harshness, automotive polishes made by silicone rubber.

Medical products

Silicone rubber is popular for making medical-grade tubing, defoamers, adhesives and fluids.

Leather and Textiles

Another application of silicone rubber is in making waterproofing treatments and fiber chemicals.

Paints and Coatings

Silicone rubber is used in making paints, enamels, finishes and abrasion resistant coatings for plastics.

Personal and Household Care

Silicone rubber emulsions, fluids, surfactants, and powder treatments are important ingredients in skin lotions, hair care products, anti-perspirants, cosmetics, shaving creams, fabric treatments, starches, laundry products and more.