Liquid silicone rubber[1] is a versatile material with several applications in many industries. Its resilience, durability, and thermal stability make it the material of choice in the automotive and aerospace industries. But it doesn’t stop there. Medical and food-grade silicone rubber has countless uses in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries. And when you think about its excellent electrical properties, you will understand why liquid silicone rubber is also the material of choice for insulation sleeving and making electrical wiring covers. Below, we discuss the top 10 reasons you may need liquid silicone rubber products for everyday use. But first, let’s define it.
Liquid silicone rubber is a flexible, high purity, and platinum-cured material for use where manufacturers need resilience, durability, and versatility. It is used to make technical parts and has countless applications in the aerospace, automotive, medical, construction, food, and beverage industries.
While everybody marvels at its resilience, liquid silicone rubber is even more useful because of its chemical structure. It comprises two components with a unique chemical structure to guarantee thermal stability and chemical and electrical resistance. And that explains its widespread use in many industries.
Depending on the desired application, manufacturers produce liquid silicone rubber to suit different industrial applications. In the healthcare sector, it is a useful material in ophthalmology, neurosurgery, oncology, and cardiology, among other fields.
But at the same time, its thermal stability has made it a popular choice in the automotive industry, where high-temperature gasket sealing is a priority. Because the actual use varies by the industrial application, keep reading to find out the top 10 reasons choosing liquid silicone rubber today would make more sense.
Liquid silicone rubber can withstand extreme temperatures from as low as -130°F to as high as 600°F without losing its structural form or high performance. This makes it an excellent option for a wide range of temperature-sensitive applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. Over the years, liquid silicone rubber has been used in high-temperature sealing and mechanical manufacturing industries, and it’s easy to see why.
The anti-aging property implies that liquid silicone rubber will maintain its spotless appearance and performance over time. It ticks all the right boxes if you need useful material that will stand the test of time. In its cured form, LSR is resistant to weathering, aging, and ultraviolet rays, making it ideal for applications where constant exposure to such elements could be costly.
Biocompatibility refers to the ability of a material to play its desired role without causing local or systemic adverse reactions from the recipient.
Ideal medical equipment that comes into contact with patients should be biocompatible, non-toxic, and non-reactive. Liquid silicone rubber fits that category, available as a tasteless, odorless, and non-toxic material for use in the food and medical industries. It is FDA approved and meets the required standards for safe use in the medical industry.
Moreover, its hypoallergenic property also means that it won’t react when in contact with an individual’s body or skin, making it the material of choice for many practical applications.
Compression resistance means a material can maintain its shape under increasing stress. And liquid silicone rubber won’t change its structure under constant tension, thanks to its low compression set. Also, it can maintain its elasticity and high performance even when exposed to increased compression for longer periods. Best of all? LSR does so at varying temperature ranges.
Thermoplastic elastomers resist chemicals at minimum to moderate temperature ranges. And this is where liquid silicone rubber comes in, with excellent chemical resistance across different temperatures. Whether extremely low or high-temperature conditions, liquid silicone rubber can guarantee chemical resistance. Besides, it is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, fungus, and autoclaving, making it an excellent option for medical, pharmaceutical, and food processing sectors.
Usually, electronic manufacturers need a surety that the chosen material can withstand corona discharge, which is why liquid silicone rubber is becoming more and more popular in this field. Unlike other elastomers, LSR can resist electrical stress without limiting or changing conductivity. What’s more, its excellent electrical properties make it ideal for insulation and conductivity protection. LSR will be useful in applications involving high-voltage power transmission in many industrial settings.
Liquid silicone rubber has outstanding optical clarity, sometimes called transparency. This makes it the perfect substitute for traditional plastic and the best choice for any application requiring optical clarity.
On average, liquid silicone rubber has a 94% transmission level, compared to 92% and about 90% for glass and PMMA, respectively. This means that it allows for the transmission of lights of different wavelengths. And as you may probably know, light transmissibility is a useful feature for optical applications. In conclusion, liquid silicone rubber is easy to color according to specific requirements.
Shall we talk about its excellent shelf life? Usually, industrial manufacturers prioritize materials with shelf life reliability. And that’s what makes liquid silicone rubber quite popular in many settings.
One of its biggest advantages is that it can offer high performance over time. By resisting harsh environmental conditions, LSR remains useful for longer periods without showing cracks, aging, or loss of transparency. Of course, this provides value for money because you won’t have to replace the technical parts or purchase new equipment every time.
Another underrated benefit of liquid silicone rubber is its flexibility, giving you the freedom to change its shape depending on the desired application. It is useful as electrical wire covering in the electrical industry, hoses and peristaltic pumps in the medical industry, and seals in the automotive sector. And in all instances, manufacturers can reduce its weight, develop unique parts for specific environments (UV, humidity, and heat), and design useful micro-structures from just a single piece.
Besides being resilient, versatile, and stretchable, liquid silicone rubber is also reusable and can be sterilized several times. This is a useful property when performing repeated procedures in different settings. Above all, its ability to withstand multiple sterilizations makes liquid silicone rubber the material of choice in the medical industry.
Liquid silicone rubber is a versatile material with several applications in the aerospace, automotive, medical, food, and beverage industries. Besides, many consumers love its durability, good electrical properties, and UV and chemical resistance abilities.
As an industry leader in producing and delivering high-quality rubber products, the DX team has the skills and professional experience to produce liquid silicone rubber tailored to meet your needs. The team uses state-of-the-art technology and years of experience to produce silicone products with innovative styles.
You can trust our liquid silicone rubber to give you various benefits from versatility to value for money, durability, and chemical and UV resistance. Get in touch with us today to get customized products that meet your needs and those of your loved ones!
DX provides you with all-around silicone product customization services for valued customers like you.
