The Advantages and Disadvantages of Silicone Rubber

Silicone Rubber is an elastomer composed of silicone, which is a synthetic polymer that is made from the chemical element of silicon together with hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. Due to its properties, and ease of manufacturing and shaping, silicone rubber can be found in a wide range of products in all types of industries. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages of silicone rubber…

Advantages of Silicone Rubber

Silicone is one of the most popular rubber materials used in a range of different industries. This is because it has many benefits/characteristics that make it the perfect material for a variety of applications within each industry, including:

Heat Resistance – Silicone rubber can withstand extreme temperatures, both high and low, and can withstand temperatures of up to 305 degrees Celsius. This means the material can perform at high temperatures and maintain its flexibility in temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius. This is a rare characteristic for materials to have and can only be found in silicone rubbers.

Versatility – Silicone rubbers have a huge range of applications that can be applied in a wide range of industries. One of the main characteristics is that it can withstand both extreme heat and extreme cold, meaning it can be used in a variety of environments.

High Tensile Strength – High tensile silicone rubber was designed to have better elongation and tear strength when compared to the general-purpose grade, meaning products that use silicone rubber are more resistant to abrasion and fatigue. Because of this, silicone is typically used in applications such as extrusions, molding and calendaring, where the applications involve stretching and reshaping of the material.

Low Chemical Reactivity – Silicone rubber has a low chemical reactivity; this is due to silicone not containing a carbon-to-carbon backbone. Instead, it has a silicone-to-oxygen backbone. This makes it the perfect material to use where it will be exposed to chemicals.

Sterilisation – Silicone rubber is commonly found in food and medical products; this is because silicone rubber is non-porous, which means it’s not prone to the build-up of bacteria and can easily be cleaned or sterilised, which is highly important in both industries.

 

Disadvantages of Silicone Rubber

Cost – Although silicone rubber has many beneficial properties, it is also very expensive compared to other rubber materials. However, due to its many great properties, the return on investment is far greater.

Tear Strength – Although this is also an advantage, the tear strength of silicone can also be a disadvantage. General-purpose silicone rubber has poor tear strength due to the siloxane backbone, meaning it can be very susceptible to tears.

 

Here at Rayda, we create bespoke plastic products from extrusion to fit your requirements. If you have any enquiries about our products and service or have any general plastic enquiries, please contact us today.