The silicone's ring structure can produce many previously unimaginable products

Silicon is the second largest element on earth, accounting for 28 percent of the earth's crust and found in sand, silicates and many minerals like quartz. The silicon atoms are joined to oxygen atoms to form long polymer chains, which form a ring structure to make silicone. These polymers look like coils and act like buffers. This coil, unlike other molecules, can be coiled up or unwound under ambient conditions.

Such frizzy structures exist in material forms ranging from gaseous to brittle solids and can be manufactured in many different viscosities, densities, structures and functions. The unique combination of characteristics of this coil has stimulated industrial production, resulting in many products previously unimaginable.

Unique performance

The specific properties of silicone cover a wide range of functions. The most noticeable is the excellent temperature resistance. Silicone remains stable at -90-330°C. This fairly wide range is in sharp contrast to most organics, which begin to solidify above 0°C and begin to fade and oxidize at 120°C. Due to its inherent resistance to ultraviolet (UV) and antioxidant properties, silicone has excellent weather resistance, making it ideal for outdoor use. Silicone does not fade and break down over time as organics do.

Silicone, whose electrical insulation is close to that of glass, is also ideal for use in electronics. Special resistance to ozone and corona makes it suitable for high pressure applications. Silicones provide excellent water resistance and immersion stability, so they can also be found in underwater instruments. As a kind of rubber, silicone is used in gasket and sealing field because of its high compression and deformation resistance. Its own bonding power is used in baking ovens for conveyor belts, as well as in injection molding materials and low melting point alloys for elastic molds.

Silicone has superior uv resistance for use in high energy lighting, instrumentation and solar installations. After extensive research into artificial hearts in the 1950s and 1960s, silicone's biological compatibility led to its use in a wide variety of implants, wound care and drug delivery systems.