But what’s so special about silicone rubber? It protects electronics from external factors such as heat, harsh conditions, moisture, etc. This article will show how silicone rubber is crucial in safeguarding electronic products used in various industries.
What is Silicone Rubber, And What Are Its Properties?
Before we jump into the protective features of silicone rubber for electronics, let’s first understand silicone rubber. In minute quantities, it is a synthetic elastomer made from elements, including oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, silicon, etc.
We often see the use of silicone in the manufacturing industry. For instance, automotive parts, sensitive electronic components, medical devices, and general household items. Hence, it is safe to say that the scope of silicone rubber is beyond electronic products. Nonetheless, for the simplicity of the article, we will only focus on the electronic bits to fully understand it.
As for the electrical properties of silicone, you get a great deal. For starters, it has excellent resistance to moisture and heat. Moreover, silicon resists UV radiation and harsh environmental conditions pretty well. Even if an application has oils, solvents, or chemicals, silicone can defend electronic devices just fine.
As a result, manufacturers often use silicone elastomers in electronic products to avoid exposure to harmful external elements. Moreover, silicone is known for its durability and long life, thanks to good abrasion resistance. Hence, it’s an economical choice for many industries compared to other rubber materials.
How Does Silicone Rubber Protect Electrical Devices?
Coming to the real deal, how does silicone protect power electronics? What’s so special about it? Well, silicone depicts a unique set of properties. Manufacturers can also tweak these properties with vulcanization and additives to give you silicone compounds with specific electrical properties and molecular structures.
Insulation
Also, silicone tends to work as an excellent electrical insulator. Thus, the use of silicone components in electrical devices with high-voltage applications proves beneficial. But it’s not just about the properties of silicone that make it such a suitable material for electrical components.
The Threats
In the particular electronics case, these devices are threatened by high temperatures, chemicals, and moisture. Thus, the dangers posed by these threats call for a material that can protect them. That is where silicone enters with its versatile mix of properties.
FDA-Approved Silicone
Lastly, FDA-approved silicone is highly suitable for use in electric medical devices. These include not only external medical devices but also those which are implanted.
Compatibility
Another vital aspect of silicone elastomers is their compatibility with various other materials. This makes silicone components in electrical devices that use plastics, other elastomers, or even metals much more manageable.
As a result, the versatility of the rubber material, thanks to high compatibility, allows it to protect power electronics in various applications.
Advantages of Using Silicone Rubber In Electronic Protection
We have briefly touched on the benefits of silicone for electronic protection. However, let’s have a look at each advantage separately to understand the purpose of silicone in these devices fully:
- UV Resistance: we have recently seen a rise in solar panel use. Moreover, outdoor lighting has been around for quite some time. The problem arises when these outdoor electronic devices come in contact with UV radiation. Hence, it tends to cause damage over time, including discoloration and degrading performance. Thus, silicone comes into play with good UV resistance. It can withstand UV rays for prolonged periods without losing shape or properties. Hence, it helps increase the life of electronic products and even prevents bacteria formation, which can significantly damage electronic devices.
- Insulation: high voltage applications are often prone to electrical shocks and short circuits. Without the presence of protective material, these threats can damage electrical equipment. Since silicone has good insulation properties, it works as a barrier between short circuits and electric devices, preventing damage.
- Water Resistance: electric devices and water never make a good match. So, there is always a need to protect sensitive components from water and moisture. Silicone does this job well, thanks to its waterproofing and sealing properties. It keeps the water away from critical electrical components ensuring smooth functioning over the long run.
- Temperature Resistance: electrical devices often generate heat. These include electrical motors, transformers, and even cables. Fortunately, silicone rubber tends to retain its properties in extreme temperatures. As a result, it is ideally used in electronic products which experience high heat.
- Flexibility: electrical equipment such as oversized speakers which experience shocks and vibrations need a flexible material to protect them. Silicone also does this job well since it’s highly elastic.
- Chemical Resistance: silicone successfully resists various chemicals, including acids and solvents. These can potentially damage electrical devices, but not if silicone is there acting as a shield against them. Hence, a lot of industrial electronic equipment uses silicone rubber.
Applications of Silicone Rubber In The Electronics Industry
Once again, Silicone has popular demand in the electronics industry thanks to its versatile properties. Here are some of the most common applications of silicone rubber in the electrical industry:
- Insulation: silicone rubber is often used to insulate electrical connectors and wires. It protects the electrical equipment from high-voltage shocks and currents.
- Conformal Coatings: have you ever seen a printed circuit board? Silicone conformal coatings help isolate all the conductors on printed circuit boards, ensuring any moisture or high-temperature threat stays away. This manufacturer uses liquid silicone rubber and applies thin layers during the final stages of PCB production. Silicone adhesives work wonderfully as it sticks to the board and protects it while letting the conductors do their work.
- Buttons/Keypads: remember the old keypad mobile phones and telephones? The buttons used on them and many computers are made from silicone. This stays true even today as electrical devices such as remote controls and industrial equipment use silicone buttons for their excellent properties.
- Thermal/Heat Dissipation: this is where silicone potting compounds and encapsulation come in handy. Since silicone rubber has a soft texture and resists temperature, electrical components are encapsulated in silicone bodies. These help with thermal stability in electrical devices such as transformers, sensors, power supplies, etc. The silicone transfers unwanted heat from the devices while keeping out external elements such as moisture, ensuring thermal stability.
- Sealing: electrical devices that need sealing to keep water and moisture out use silicone linings, seals, and gaskets. A good example is modern smartphones with IP67 or IP68 water resistance. They use liquid silicone rubber linings to keep any moisture out. Even computers and electric medical devices use silicone sealants for their excellent sealing, high flexibility, and durability.
Comparison of Silicone Rubber With Other Materials Used For The Same Purpose
Here is a comparison of silicone with other rubber materials used for electronics. The table below clearly indicates how silicone performs better in almost every aspect:
| Property | Silicone Rubber | Neoprene | Nitrile Rubber | EPDM Rubber |
| Electrical Insulation | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| Tear strength | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| Oil resistance | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Poor |
| Temperature range | -55°C to 200°C | -30°C to 120°C | -40°C to 100°C | -50°C to 130°C |
| Chemical resistance | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| UV resistance | Excellent | Good | Poor | Good |
| Flexibility | Excellent | Good | Good | Poor |
| Water resistance | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
As the table above shows, silicone offers better electronic properties than other rubber materials used for the same purpose. Hence, manufacturers often prefer silicone for its unique properties and exceptional performance.
When Should You Use Silicone Rubber to Protect Electronics
Given the properties of silicone, you should use it to protect electronics in specific conditions. But what are these particular conditions? Even though we have practically discussed each already, there is a different way to view it.
For Elasticity
We already know silicone has high flexibility and elasticity. Hence, any application that will put electronic devices through pressure and extension uses silicone to protect them. The rubber material retains its properties even after being stretched for prolonged periods.
For Water Resistance
Silicone tends to protect electrical devices from water and moisture better than any other synthetic rubber. Hence, any medical or telecommunication industry application requiring water-resistant sealing must use liquid silicone rubber.
For UV Resistance
Outdoor applications in the form of lights and solar panels can significantly benefit from silicone. It helps keep the UV rays at bay, ensuring your investment is protected correctly and increasing the overall lifespan.
For Low Flammability
Silicone has high-temperature resistance. Hence, any application where things can get heated up quickly can use silicone well. Even if things get out of hand with extra high temperatures, silicone still does not release any toxic materials.
For High Voltage Resistance
Any application that will put the electrical device through high voltage must use silicone as a protective layer, coating, potting, or encapsulation.
FAQs About Choosing Silicone Rubber to Protect Electronics
Is silicone safe for electronics?
Yes, silicone is a highly versatile rubber material with a combination of properties. These include chemical resistance, temperature resistance, water resistance, and insulation. All of this help make silicone a safe material for electronics.
Does silicone rubber conduct electricity?
Silicone is an electrical insulator. Hence, it can withstand high currents and shocks without losing stability. As a result, it won’t conduct electricity or let it pass through and damage the electrical equipment.
What kind of silicone is used for electronics?
The most common electronic silicone forms include liquid silicone rubber and thermally conductive silicone. This helps ensure that it serves the purpose of equipment protection while ensuring things stay calm around it.
What are the advantages of using silicone rubber?
Low compression set, high flexibility, and temperature resistance are some of the advantages of silicone. Moreover, the rubber material has a proven record of high durability, making it a cost-effective investment for long-term applications.
Conclusion
To conclude, silicone does an incredible job protecting electronic components. Silicone compounds have all the suitable properties to keep electrical devices stable and safe from any damage external elements can cause. If you are running a business looking for silicone systems for electronics, you have a great market to catch.
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