If you’re from the industrial world, you probably want to know what liquid silicone rubber is. Simply stated, it is a flexible and easy-to-handle silicon form. Liquid Silicon is in demand for its application in bonding, sealing, and molding.
You should know the temperature requirements and application processes of liquid silicone to work with it. Below, we’re going into everything about liquid silicone rubber.
Key Characteristics of Liquid Silicone and Its Value
Let’s explore the common liquid silicone rubber properties:
What Is Liquid Silicone: Properties of Liquid Silicone
Below are the defining features of liquid silicone:
- Liquid silicone is sturdy and resistant. It isn’t affected by exposure to UV rays, chemicals, and more. This has been discussed time and again in scientific research.
- Liquid silicone is very elastic and won’t lose its shape and form when exposed to stress. This holds true, especially during liquid injection molding.
- Thanks to its easy-flow nature. Liquid silicone rubber easily takes the shape of any mold accurately.
- It is non-toxic. Medical-grade silicone is used in implantations and biocompatible devices.
- Liquid silicone can insulate electric current, ensuring successful application in electronic systems.
Value For Industries
These properties make liquid silicone rubber an important element for modern industries. Its crucial role in automotive, medical, and other manufacturing industries cannot be denied.
The customizability of liquid silicone rubber enhances the operational efficiency in industries. These properties allow industries to manufacture quality products without wasting resources.
Do you want a versatile material with heat resistance? Are you looking for something leak-proof and non-toxic? Liquid silicone is your answer!
Advantages of Using Liquid Silicone
Here are the top benefits of using liquid silicone products across industries:
- Versatile: Thanks to its versatility, we have this material in so many forms. From silicone sealants to silicone molds, its uses in manufacturing industries are boundless.
- Detailed Precision: Liquid silicone can flow to every corner of liquid silicone moldings. This ensures accuracy and complete detailing in the end product.
- Durable and Flexible: LSR is resistant to UV rays and extreme temperatures. It can also withstand other strict environmental conditions.
- Cures At Room Temperature: Liquid silicone needs no special conditions to solidify. It hardens under normal conditions, improving overall production efficiency.
Main Application Scenarios of Liquid Silicone
Liquid silicone rubber is used in a vast range of businesses. You can use it in medical devices and other typical manufacturing processes. Here is a breakdown of what is silicone used in different industries:
Industrial Grade Silicone
In industries, there are LSR derivatives like silicone liquid glue and liquid silicone molding. You can use it in gaskets & seals, O-rings, and other essential industrial products.
It has chemical resistance and weather resistance. These make it a long-lasting option for several production processes.
Medical Grade Silicone
Liquid silicone is one of the safest medical-grade materials out there. Its non-toxicity makes it a widely relied element in healthcare settings. Studies show the importance of liquid silicone in medical fields. It is an important element in implants, modern surgery tools, and catheters.
The non-toxic nature of liquid silicone makes it safe for wearable devices. It makes sure they don’t cause allergic reactions of any kind.
Automotive Grade Silicone
Liquid Silicone rubber has high-performance mechanical properties. These make it a core item for the automotive industry. In the automotive industry, liquid silicone has multiple used. These include the manufacturing of all-purpose silicone sealants, electrical connectors, and waterproofing solutions.
Liquid silicone is a prime determiner of modern vehicle performance. It enhances vehicle performance by providing proper sealing and insulation for vehicles.
Electronic Grade Silicone
LSR is an excellent insulator. It is prime to the production of circuit systems, insulation systems, and rubber keypads.
Studies show that while providing insulation, liquid silicone can protect the systems too. It can resist dust, moisture, and the effects of temperature fluctuations.
Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR )vs. High-Consistency Rubber (HCR): How to Choose the Right Material?
LSR materials and HSR have their distinguishing characteristics, and both are useful in their own ways. Let us draw a striking comparison between these to help see what suits your needs:
LSR Vs. HCR: Key Differences
| Defining Factors | Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) | High-Consistency Rubber (HCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Characteristics | Very flexible, durable, and offer great resistance under intense temperatures | Very strong and durable elastomers. Very strong in high mechanical stress conditions |
| Processing Methods | Automated, Injection molding for great precision | Manual compression and transfer molding |
| Application Areas | Medical field production, electrical insulations, seals, molding processes, etc. | Heavy-duty gaskets and engine seals, automotive productions, and rollers |
| Process of Curing | Cures quickly at normal temperature conditions | Slowly cures under high temperatures |
| Costs | High up-front costs. It offers automated injection ensuring high-volume production. No need for intensive labor | More costs and intensive labor required |
LSR vs. HCR: Which One Should You Choose?
As an industry owner, it can be a tiring task to decide between LSR and HCR for several production processes. Let us make it easy for you.
Go for Liquid silicone rubber if you are looking for an automated production process. Such a process involves intricate designs that need extreme precision. It is ideal for industries that won’t compromise on biocompatibility and detailing. HCR is for you if you’re producing something strong and highly resistant to pressure.
Another way to look at this is to consider the labor and time you want to invest in a production process. Go for LSR if you want automated injection molding and big-scale production. It is also a choice when you can hire intensive manual labor.
Alternatively, go for HCR if you want more manual control over the molding process. It is ideal for compression molding and when you can hire labor forces, HCR could be a good choice for you.
Material Selection Guide for Business Owners
Here are the key points to consider while deciding what to choose between LSR and HCR:
Choose LSR if you require
- Automated, mass-scale production with intricate detailing
- Non-allergic, biocompatible, and precision-based items
- Quick and bulk processing with less waste
Choose HCR if you require
- Heavy-duty productions that are resistant to stress and extreme temperatures
- Customized molds that you can approach in a tailored manner
- Specific and low-volume production
How to Optimize Liquid Silicone Curing Processes
Here are some ways you can optimize the curing of the LSR molding process:
- Curing Principles: Ensuring proper curing is very important for LSR molding. It ensures flexibility and strength, resulting in a quality final product.
- Room Temperature vs. Heat Curing: Room temperature curing is perfect for delicate production. Use heat curing for quick processing with increased strength of the end product.
- Optimizing Curing Conditions: Controlling the temperature and humidity during the curing is useful. It ensures fewer defects and consistent production quality of the end product.
The Role of Liquid Silicone in Sustainability and Environmental Compliance
Contrary to what many think, liquid silicone is very eco-friendly. It has no VOCs and hence meets almost all the strict environmental regulations. It is a safe choice for production processes that offer sustainability and quality.
You can also recycle and repurpose liquid silicone. This results in reduced industrial waste production. Thankfully, this material is sturdy and has a long lifespan. This means a lower need for replacement which also decreases waste.
LSR’s role in green manufacturing can’t be denied. It supports energy-saving by curing at normal conditions. LSR needs no external energy consumption for its setting.
Liquid Silicone Processing Technologies for Complex Product Designs
Here are the top processing technologies used in precision designing using LSR:
- Degassing Treatment: Using vacuum degassing, air bubbles are removed from the products. This ensures a smooth and seamless finish.
- Precision Pouring: You can avoid air pockets and uneven surfaces. This can be done by controlling the speed of silicon pouring in molds.
- Mold Optimization: Some molds are 3D-printed and CNC-machined. Using these molds offers extreme precision, increasing the intricacy of designs.
- Post-Curing Process: Liquid silicone is often exposed to heat after curing. This improves its strength, resistance, and longevity.
Common Misconceptions About Liquid Silicone
Despite it being famous, many still have the following misunderstandings about liquid silicone:
- A very common misconception about this all purpose silicone is that it is always soft and bendy. In reality, liquid silicone offers a range of hardness types. This makes it flexible and customizable.
- Some people misunderstand liquid silicone as an easily flammable substance. However, it’s not true as liquid silicone is heat resistant. It can’t burn easily.
- Another misconception is that liquid silicone is a pollutant. In reality, it is an eco-friendly substance that causes minimal pollution.
FAQs: Common Questions
Q1. Is liquid silicone suitable for outdoor environments?
Yes. It has UV resistance and the ability to withstand extreme weather. Hence, it is suitable for outdoors.
Q2. How can the curing speed of liquid silicone be accelerated?
External heat and catalysts can speed up the curing speed of LSR.
Q3. What are the key parameters to consider when selecting liquid silicone?
Check liquid silicone for its hardness, curing method, and heat resistance. These things can help you select the best for your industrial needs.
Q4. How does liquid silicone perform in waterproof applications?
Liquid silicone is extremely waterproof. It offers high resistance and durability. Hence, it performs exceptionally well in such applications.
Q5. How can the adhesion strength between liquid silicone and other materials be improved?
We can use certain priming methods, adhesives, and surface treatments. This can improve the adhesion strength.
Conclusion
Now, you have enough information about LSRs and their uses. It’s time you use LSRs in your manufacturing processes for enhanced performance.
Give your business an edge over competitors using LSRs. For more, explore our LSR Injection Molding Design Guide. This will give you an idea of how to practically implement this in your operations.
Connect With Top Silicone Maker for Your Business Needs Today!
At Hongju Silicone, we are offering quality liquid silicone products for your needs. We are committed to excellence for the past 25 years. This keeps us going every day, producing quality solutions for all business needs.
Reach out to us today. Explore our LSR products and explore custom solutions for your business needs.
