What is the difference between liquid silicone and silicone?

9/2/2020

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 In The Field Of Organic Silicon, downstream physical silicon rubber materials can be divided into solid and liquid materials, and both materials are currently widely used in various major industries, such as potting glass glue, organic silicone water, and sealing silicon Rubber products, electronic sealing accessories, etc. There are many similarities between their application fields and material properties, and their production processes are different. In the field of products, their roles and functions are basically the same. What are the differences between materials and products?

 The main difference between liquid silica gel and solid silica gel is: one is liquid and the other is solid; but after processing the finished product, the two are not so easy to distinguish. Liquid silica gel is liquid and has fluidity. Solid silica gel is solid and has no fluidity.

Different fields of use

(1) Liquid silicone is generally used in baby products, silicone kitchen products and medical products, it can directly contact food and human body;

(2) Solid silica gel is generally used for daily necessities, industrial miscellaneous parts and auto parts;

(3) Safety of liquid silica gel and solid silica gel: Liquid silica gel is a highly transparent, high-safety food-grade material. No auxiliary materials such as vulcanizing agent are added during the molding process. The sealing material is formed by sealing.

Solid silica gel is a translucent material. Vulcanization is needed to accelerate the curing time.

Molding:

Liquid Silicone (LSR): The full name is injection molding liquid silicone rubber, and the vulcanization equipment is an injection molding machine. The injection molding machine process is very simple, the product precision is high, and the output is high (the A/B glue is mixed for a few seconds at a certain temperature). The materials are mixed and added with color glue and catalyst to automatically inject into the mold cavity without manual operation. Product advantages The product has good fluidity, strong stretch and resilience, and the mold is combined injection molding, so the product has a plastic injection port and basically no surface parting lines.

Solid Silicone: The raw material for solid silica gel molding is a solid. After the silicone rubber product manufacturer is mixed by a mixer, it needs to add color glue and catalyst, and then cut it into an appropriate size and manually put it into the mold cavity to form and cure. The automatic processing method requires manual operation to take the mold and discharge the material. Because the material is solid, the fluidity and stretch resilience are slightly lower than that of the liquid. The product has no injection port, and the processed finished product will have upper and lower parting lines .

What Is The Difference Between Liquid Silicone And Solid Silicone Materials?

Solid silica gel is industrially made of water glass (sodium silicate) as a raw material, hydrolyzed in an acid medium to form a gel, and then made into silica gel through aging, washing, drying, etc., depending on the water content, translucent or white solid. The products on the market have irregular granular, spherical, and microspherical silica gels, which are usually used as catalysts for vulcanization in fluidized bed operations.

two. When used as a catalyst carrier, the silica gel is usually immersed in a solution containing catalytically active components, so that the solution is absorbed into the pores of the silica gel, and the active components are distributed on the surface of the silica. Gelation through drying, activation, etc. The pore structure of silica gel has an important influence on the properties of the prepared supported catalyst, such as the pore volume and pore size distribution of silica gel. Generally, silica gel with an average pore diameter of less than 15 to 20 is called fine pore silica gel; and an average pore diameter of more than 40 to 50 angstroms is called coarse pore silica gel.

three. The pore structure is not conducive to the diffusion of reactant molecules, but it can reduce the utilization rate of the inner surface of the catalyst, and the product molecules formed in the pores are not easy to escape from the pores, which is possible. Causes a profound side reaction. The pore structure of silica gel is related to the manufacturing method and conditions, such as gelation, aging, pH during washing, temperature, and time. Commercially available silicone daily necessities can be reamed through reaming. The usual method is to heat in an autoclave or add a salt-containing aqueous solution (such as sodium carbonate or sodium acetate), for example, at 320° C., 10 MPa hot-press treatment can change the specific silica gel. Surface and average pore size is 135m2/g and 123? to 26.9m2/g and 508?.

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Liquid silicone process introduction

Liquid silica gel is used in industry to dehydrate sodium water into silica sol through ion exchange. It is a translucent milky white liquid with high stability. The solid silica gel becomes a porous solid after drying. For example, in the preparation of (phosphorus-molybdenum-niobium-oxygen)/silica catalyst for preparing acrylonitrile by oxidative oxidation of propylene, a solution containing active components is mixed with silica sol, and microspheres are prepared by spraying catalyst.

High-consistency silicone rubber is also called “solid silicone” or “gum stock.” It is made up of high molecular weight polysiloxane chains. HCR can contain a variety of fillers to enhance special properties, such as hardness and heat resistance. HCR can be cured using either peroxide curing systems or platinum catalyst formulations. The latter creates no chemical byproducts during curing. The material is sold in bulk forms such as: bars, tubes, and cylinders for further processing. HCR is an outstanding material for long-term implantable medical devices, automotive engine components, and many consumer household products.

Which Types of Silicone are Classified as Elastomers?

All types of silicone products are elastomers. An elastomer is a rubbery polymer (like silicone) that is viscoelastic (has both viscous and elastic properties). When an elastomeric material like silicone is stressed and then released, its deformation will have both a normal, quick response to the release of the stress (elastic) and a slower, time-dependent recovery response (viscous).

To learn more, see our guide on Silicone Material.

What Are the Other Forms of Silicone?

Silicone can take many forms:

• Emulsion: Silicone emulsions consist of silicone molecules suspended in a stabilized water solution. Applications include: lubricants, release agents, and cleaning and polishing compounds to enhance spread and durability.
• Oil: Silicone oils are simple, linear polysiloxane chains that can slip past each other, providing a lubricating action. They may be used as hydraulic fluids and lubricating oils, and as raw materials for further processing. 
• Liquid: Liquid silicone rubber is fluid enough to be used for precision injection molding. It is usually a two-part formulation that is mixed just before entering the mold. Applications for liquid silicone rubber include: gaskets, potting for electronics, formed parts, and medical devices.
• Caulk: Caulk is a viscous, room-temperature vulcanizing form of silicone. It has superior workability, adhesion, and durability.
• Resin: Silicone resins are usually thermosetting products with branching molecules that form densely cross-linked structures. They are used in adhesives, protective and water-repellent coatings, and heat-resistant paints.
• Grease: Silicone grease is made by adding fillers to silicone oil. The resulting thermally stable product lubricates the desired surfaces. It also conducts heat and protects against moisture and other chemicals. Mold release, glass joint seals, and electrical contact protection are some of the applications for silicone grease.
• Gel: Silicone gel is made from a two-part, platinum-catalyzed liquid formulation. It may contain additional oils or softeners to reach the right consistency for forming into thin sheets or packets. This form of silicone has been used in the medical field for scar reduction.
• Foam: Silicone foam is created by adding outgassing agents to liquid silicone. These agents are controlled to allow the manufacture of both open and closed-cell foams of varying densities. The foam may have a smooth skin – as for use in gaskets and spacers, or a rough surface, as may be acceptable in gap-fillers, pipe insulation, and other applications. 
• Solid: Solid silicone rubber usually refers to a type of silicone that has long polymer chains and high molecular weight. It is also called “high-consistency rubber” (HCR). When cured, it is relatively dense and hard. It can be formed into final products such as tubing, engine mounts, seals, and gaskets.

For more information, see our guide on the properties of silicone.

How is Silicone Classified?

All forms of silicone can be classified as non-organic elastomeric polymers. As a group, they are flexible, non-chemically reactive, resist degradation by ultraviolet radiation, maintain their mechanical properties over a wide range of temperatures, and are considered non-toxic when used appropriately. 

Silicones can be adapted into many different forms, and for thousands of end uses. They can be liquids, pastes, gels, foams, or solids. Silicones can be chemically tailored for extra strength, thermal stability, electrical conductivity, or chemical resistance.

Is Silicone a Type of Rubber?

Silicone (polydimethylsiloxane) is a type of rubber. It is a polymer built on a backbone of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms. This polymer displays the highly elastic properties required of a rubber. Silicone rubber is a useful, if more recent, addition to the rubber family. It offers better performance at temperature extremes than natural rubber and can be tailored for a broader range of physical and mechanical properties.

Is Liquid Rubber the Same as Silicone?

A liquid rubber sealant can be silicone-based, but it may also be based on other suitable materials, such as polyurethane. “Liquid Rubber” usually refers to thin sealants that can be applied to large areas such as driveways, roofs, and underground cement walls. The term “Liquid Silicone Rubber” (LSR) always means silicone. LSR is the raw material used for injection molding, joining/bonding surfaces, and sealing applications.

Contact a Xometry representative for help in deciding on the right composition and manufacturing techniques to produce high-quality silicone components or check our quoting tool. 

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