What is silicone oil good for?

13 May.,2024

 

Silicone oil - Wikipedia

Any liquid polymerized siloxane with organic side chains

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A silicone oil is any liquid polymerized siloxane with organic side chains. The most important member is polydimethylsiloxane. These polymers are of commercial interest because of their relatively high thermal stability and their lubricating properties.[1]

Structure

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Like all siloxanes (e.g., hexamethyldisiloxane), the polymer backbone consists of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms (...Si−O−Si−O−Si...).[citation needed] Many groups can be attached to the tetravalent silicon centres, but the dominant substituent is methyl or sometimes phenyl. Many silicone liquids are linear polymers end-capped with trimethylsilyl groups. Other silicone liquids are cyclosiloxanes.[citation needed]

Applications

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Silicone oils are primarily used as lubricants, thermic fluid oils or hydraulic fluids. They are excellent electrical insulators[2] and, unlike their carbon analogues, are non-flammable. Their temperature stability and good heat-transfer characteristics make them widely used in laboratories for heating baths ("oil baths") placed on top of hotplate stirrers, as well as in freeze-dryers as refrigerants.[citation needed] Silicone oil is also commonly used as the working fluid in dashpots, wet-type transformers, diffusion pumps and in oil-filled heaters. Aerospace use includes the external coolant loop and radiators of the International Space Station Zvezda module, which rejects heat in the vacuum of space.[3]

The class of silicone oils known as cyclosiloxanes has many of the same properties as other non-cyclic siloxane liquids but also has a relatively high volatility, making it useful in a number of cosmetic products such as antiperspirant.

Some silicone oils, such as simethicone, are potent anti-foaming agents due to their low surface tension. They are used in industrial applications such as distillation or fermentation, where excessive amounts of foam can be problematic. They are sometimes added to cooking oils to prevent excessive foaming during deep frying. Silicone oils used as lubricants can be inadvertent defoamers (contaminants) in processes where foam is desired, such as in the manufacture of polyurethane foam.

Silicone oil is also one of the two main ingredients in Silly Putty, along with boric acid.

Silicone oil may be used as a gun lubricant. It is compatible with the rubber, plastic and metal parts frequently found in firearms. Due to the high surface adhesion of silicone oil, it forms a persistent film which may be useful in protecting guns during extended storage.

Medical uses

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Consumer products to control flatulence often contain silicone oil.[citation needed] Silicone oils have been used as a vitreous fluid substitute to treat difficult cases of retinal detachment, such as those complicated with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, large retinal tears, and penetrating ocular trauma.[4] Additionally, silicone oil is used in general medicine and surgery. Because of silicone oil's water repellent and lubricating properties, it is considered an appropriate material to maintain surgical instruments. They are also used in digital rectal examinations (DRE).

Automotive use

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OSi Silicone contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

Silicone oil has been commonly used as the fluid in the automobile cooling fan clutch assemblies, and is still being used in the newer electronic fan clutches.[5]

References

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Silicone oil: what is it for and how to find the most suitable ...

"Use of silicone oil"

When we talk about mechanical connections and movements, the common denominator is the lubrication of the components that concern them, with silicone oil or silicone grease, in order to operate correctly.

It can take place through an oily lubricant or a grease, it depends on the destination device and on other fundamental characteristics, which determine a unique and specific lubrication. In the case of lubricating oils, these are the characteristics that you must carefully consider before making your choice:

 

For some of these items your solution may be a silicone oil, let's see which ones!

 

Silicone oil: application and uses

A silicone oil, as well as a silicone grease, due to its high coefficient of thermal viscosity is one of the most commonly used solutions, as it can be used in various fields and sectors:

  • in case of mechanical components in plastic or rubber
  • in industrial plants as a diathermic fluid
  • in paper printing as a release agent
  • as a hydraulic fluid with high viscothermal stability
  • as an antifoam additive
  • in soft closing mechanisms as a fluid for friction control
  • as a polishing and protective agent
  • in high voltage transformers as a dielectric fluid.

Thanks to these characteristics and qualities, silicone oils are suitable for numerous uses with various advantages, such as the fact that they do not leave residues and odors, which makes them absolutely compatible even in the event of accidental contact with food.

But not only!

A silicone oil, as well as a silicone grease, does not damage rubbers and plastics at a structural level, which is why it is often chosen as a solution for numerous mixed couplings such as metal plastic or metal rubber, up to rubber and plastic.

Finally, its high dielectric strength makes silicone oil a perfect insulator for electrical applications, and an almost universal product in terms of lubrication.

 

Silicone oil: the characteristics

In order for a silicone oil to be functional and qualitatively valid, it must be pure in terms of the raw material used, only in this way can it express all its incredible functionality.

There are several families of silicone oils, depending on the chemical structure that forms and differentiates each of its components: a structure formed by a linear chain of silicon and oxygen, for example, will make the silicone oil very stable to oxidation, giving it a high flash point and a low solidification point.

A different silicone oil may perhaps have a wider operating temperature range, and yet another one may be more compatible with plastics and elastomers: the quality of the oil must always be judged on the basis of your needs.

For more information, please visit Silikon Oil.