What Are the Advantages of Silicone Rubber?

Silicone rubber's advantages are heat resistance, cold resistance, dielectric performance, ozone resistance and resistance to atmospheric ageing. Its standout property is a wide service temperature range: continuous use from -60 °C to +250 °C.

Its disadvantages are relatively poor mechanical properties such as tensile and tear strength — at room temperature it is inferior to most synthetic rubbers — and, apart from nitrile-silicone and fluorosilicone, generally poor oil and solvent resistance.

Handling and safety notes

1. Silicone gel is a highly active adsorbent, amorphous, based on silicon dioxide, chemically stable and non-combustible.
2. Workshop dust should be kept below 10 mg/m³, with adequate extraction; wear a mask during handling.
3. Silicone is strongly adsorbent and dries the skin, so wear proper work clothing. If it gets into the eyes, rinse with plenty of water and seek medical attention promptly.
4. Blue silicone contains a small amount of cobalt chloride and is potentially toxic — keep it away from food and never ingest it.
5. In service, silicone adsorbs water vapour or organic substances from the surrounding media and its capacity drops; it can be regenerated and reused.