Silicone extrusions are a game-changing material with a plethora of benefits. Their exceptional temperature resistance, water-repellent nature, and electrical insulation abilities make them a go-to option for various industries. While we often associate silicone with the automotive, aerospace, and medical sectors, it’s worth mentioning that it’s making its mark in several unexpected places. So, let’s explore five industries that rely on the versatility of silicone extrusions, and you will be surprised by what you learn.
What Makes Silicone a Popular Material?
Silicone, a synthetic material known for its uber-flexibility and resilience, is popular across many industries. Boasting temperature resistance, durability, water resistance, and electrical insulation ability, it is one of the most popular materials across industries for a reason.
Temperature Resistance
One of the most notable properties of silicone is its extraordinary temperature resistance. It can withstand both extremely high and low temperatures without losing its integrity or changing its physical properties. This makes it an ideal material for applications in industries that operate across a broad temperature spectrum.
Durability
Silicone is famous in certain industries for its exceptional durability. It can weather harsh conditions and resist wear and tear, which ensures that it lasts for years without degrading. Silicone also exhibits excellent resistance to UV light, ozone, and radiation.
Other Notable Properties
Aside from temperature resistance and durability, silicone also has excellent electrical insulation capabilities and water repellency. These properties make it suitable for applications in areas where electrical currents or moisture pose challenges. Discover six benefits of silicone in rubber production.
Surprising Industries Using Silicone Extrusions
It’s clear to see why silicone is a popular and effective material across a variety of applications. Let’s look at five industries that surprisingly use silicone extrusions:
Beauty Industry
It may be surprising to discover that the use of silicone extrusions in beauty industries is quite common. For example, these industries may use silicone to form part of makeup applicators or incorporate it into the structure of beauty devices. Silicone’s hypoallergenic properties and skin-soft feel make it the perfect product to use.
Agriculture Industry
Using silicone extrusions in agriculture is also quite popular. Their durability and resistance to harsh weather conditions make them perfect for greenhouse window seals, irrigation equipment, and livestock tagging devices. Our inflatable seals and silicone sponge sheets could be just what your agricultural business needs.
Additionally, silicone’s chemical stability makes it immune to detrimental effects from fertilisers and pesticides. It can mould into various forms, such as tubing or sheets, making it an adaptable solution for numerous agricultural needs. Its excellent insulation properties are also crucial for protecting equipment from temperature fluctuations, ensuring reliable performance.
Food Industry
In the food industry, silicone extrusions make food preparation and storage safer and more efficient. They have a function in the manufacturing of baking mats, seals for food containers, and even conveyor belts for food production lines. Silicone makes the products easy to clean and resistant to bacteria.
Silicone extrusions are also in cooking utensils and bakeware due to their non-stick properties. That means that you can easily remove food from pans and moulds without breaking them or leaving behind any residue. Silicone provides excellent heat resistance, which ensures safety during food handling and preparation.
On the machinery side, silicone seals and gaskets commonly feature in food processing equipment due to their ability to maintain structural integrity under extreme temperature variations.
Construction Industry
Silicone extrusions also play a key role in the construction industry. The material’s excellent thermal insulation, soundproofing capabilities, and durability make it ideal for items such as windows, doors, and cladding seals.
Moreover, silicone extrusions are invaluable in the construction of green buildings. By helping to boost energy efficiency, silicone plays a significant role in the creation of economically and environmentally sustainable structures. The material is resistant to degradation by environmental factors, such as UV light, extreme temperatures, and even chemical exposure, making it ideal for outdoor applications in construction projects.
Electrical Industry
Silicone extrusions make a significant impact on the electrical industry. Their excellent insulating properties and resistance to extreme temperatures make them perfect for use in a variety of electrical applications, including where the voltage is high and insulation is crucial for safety purposes. Power transmission and distribution applications also use silicone extrusions, which provide critical performance enhancements.
Another important application of silicone extrusions in the electrical industry is in the manufacturing of keypads for electronic devices. Silicone’s flexibility, durability, and ability to retain its form even after frequent usage make it an ideal choice for this application.
They also commonly form part of LED lighting systems due to their high transparency and ability to withstand high temperatures.
How Viking Extrusions Can Help Your Business
Viking Extrusions offers a wide variety of silicone extrusions to meet the unique demands of each industry. By choosing us, you can benefit from years of expertise in producing high-quality, durable silicone extrusions that can withstand even the toughest conditions. Businesses worldwide have trusted our company to provide the best silicone extrusions for their applications for over 30 years, and we’re committed to helping yours too.
Silicone Extrusions for Every Industry
It’s astonishing to discover how many industries rely on silicone extrusions. They are crucial for beauty, construction, food-safe products, and energy efficiency. This underlines the amazing versatility of silicone as a material. If you want to learn more about how silicone extrusions could benefit your business, don’t hesitate to explore our product range.
