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Did you know that one of the most common elements on Earth is silicon. There is as much as 28% of it in the Earth’s crust. We find it in sand, quartz and rocks. Silicon is a component of glass, ceramic materials, metallic glasses and polymers with high thermal resistance and chemical passivity, i.e. silicones. This amazing, almost strange material exhibits contradictory properties: it can be hard and brittle, but also soft and flexible.
What are silicones?
Silicones are otherwise known as silicone polymers, which are synthetic polymeric materials formed by combining silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. This material combines the properties of both glass and plastic. Like glass, silicone is resistant to moisture and temperature. It is also a chemically inert and insulating substance. Like plastic, which is derived from carbon, silicone is durable and can take any form.
Who discovered silicone?
In 1943, James Gilbert E. Wright, a laboratory engineer at General Electric in the United States, in search of a new material with the properties of natural rubber, was experimenting with silicone oil in an attempt to create an inexpensive substitute for synthetic rubber when he mixed boric acid and silicone oil in a test tube and instead of hard rubber, he got a mixture that was slightly sticky to the touch.
Disappointed with the result, he threw some of the material from the test tube onto the floor. To his surprise, the sample bounced up off the floor. The new compound turned out to be very elastic and could be stretched and pulled.
Where can we find silicone?
Everyone has surely encountered silicone in their everyday life. The most popular use is as a sealant e.g. in shower cabins, but silicone is also used in pacifiers for babies, contact lenses, medical catheters, menstrual cups and our bath liners. Silicone is non-allergenic and waterproof, which is why it is used in our products.
Some of the most important properties of silicone include:
- Stability of its properties in temperatures ranging from -50°C to 250°C,
- Resistance to sunlight,
- Softness and elasticity,
- Hydrophobicity,
- Anti-adhesive and lubricating properties,
- Resistance to chemical agents.
