High temperature silicone rubber

Silicone rubber (or, to give it its scientific name, Poly-Siloxane) is an amazing material.

It is an inorganic synthetic elastomer, made from a cross-linked silicon-based polymer.

As such, it offers a unique combination of chemical and mechanical properties, which organic elastomers cannot match.

Widely used in a wide variety of industries, it is generally non-reactive, stable, and resistant to extreme environments, stresses and temperatures.

Most impressively, it can be formulated to operate consistently from −60°C to +300°C while still maintaining its useful properties.

Silicone rubber’s mechanical properties include - tensile strength, elongation, tear strength and compression set.

When used in extreme temperatures, these qualities make the material far superior to conventional organic rubbers.

These inferior materials’ carbon composition can leave them susceptible to ozone, UV, heat and other ageing factors – factors that silicone rubber can easily withstand.

This makes high temperature silicone rubber the most suitable elastomer for many applications.

It is also highly inert, and doesn’t react with most chemicals or the environment - so it is ideal for many food and medical applications.

Silicone rubber has incredible resistance to weathering and environmental influences.

Over time, there is very little change to the properties of silicone when exposed to the elements.

High temperature silicone rubber is also resistant to ozone, oxidation, ultraviolet light, corona discharge, cosmic radiation, ionising radiation and general weathering.

As a rule of thumb, a chemical reaction is increased exponentially for every 10°C increase in temperature.

With this in mind, it is likely that the lifespan of a general-purpose silicone is halved for every 10°C above its intended use.

Therefore, the lifespan of a general-purpose silicone operating at a high temperature of +250°C would be reduced significantly.

This could have a serious impact on the intended performance of your silicone rubber products.

Experts at Silicone Engineering will advise you of the right silicone material for your application.

Silicone Engineering offers specialist materials for more demanding applications or environments.

These have been continuously developed, refined and improved to deliver an impressive range of silicone formulations that comply with industry standards and meet ever-changing customer needs.

Technical data is available on all Silicone Engineering products. For more details, download the product information or speak to one of Silicone Engineering’s dedicated specialists.

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