Silicone, a material with outstanding properties

For decades, silicone has been a material that has led more and more engineers and technicians to create innovative solutions for medium and high voltage electrical products. Silicone has gained market share versus comparable raw materials. For the low, medium and high voltage manufacturing industry, Dr. Dietrich Mueller GmbH stampings and molded parts made of silicone.

Silicone, silicone sheet, fluorosilicone and silicone foam are ideal for the electrical, aerospace, medical and pharmaceutical, automotive, sensor, housing and Engineering as well as companies in the food industry, rail traffic, metal and automation technology.

silicone rubber

Silicone rubber is the collective term for a large number of elastomers which, starting from dimethyldichlorosilane, result from the polycondensation of corresponding secondary products. Unlike organic rubbers, the molecular backbone of silicone elastomers is not made of carbon, but instead is made up of alternating oxygen and silicon atoms. VMQ is usually vulcanized with peroxides. To stabilize their mechanical properties, the vulcanizates must be tempered.

Silicone rubber offers good temperature resistance up to 280 °C, good cold flexibility at low temperatures and good ozone and weather resistance. Its gas permeability at room temperature is higher than that of other rubbers, its electrical insulating properties are very good, and its physiological inertness is high.

Due to their advantageous properties, silicone rubbers serve as the basis for a wide variety of products, such as hoses and seals for the automotive sector or products for food processing, baking and cooking. VMQ can be found in sportswear and shoes as well as in electrical devices and medical technology.

Resistance of silicone rubber

• Chemical resistance:
• Motor oils and gear oils of an aliphatic type (e.g. ASTM oil No. 1)
• animal and vegetable oils and fats
• Glycol based brake fluids
• flame retardant hydraulic fluids HFD-R and HFD-S
• high molecular weight chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons
• Water up to +100°C
• diluted salt solutions
• Resistant to ozone, aging and weathering

Not persistent:

• superheated water vapor over +120°C
• acids and alkalis
• low-molecular chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g. trichlorethylene)
• fuels
• aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzene, toluene)

Full silicone in various shore hardnesses

Silicone is made by the Dr. Dietrich Müller GmbH from Ahlhorn in different colors (such as red, black, green, white and blue) as well as in a transparent version. Stamped silicone seals are available in different Shore hardnesses from 20° to 80° Shore A and can be used at temperatures between -100° and + 300° C without any problems.

For rail vehicles we offer silicone according to EN 45545-2 with 50° and 60° Shore A.

Silicone foams, silicone sheets and silicone foil as stamped parts

Silicone foam combines the high-quality properties of silicone with the flexibility of a foamed elastomer and thus enables solution-oriented use in many areas of application, especially in sterile environments. BISCO® BF 1000 silicone foam, BISCO® BF-2000 silicone foam or BISCO® HT 800 silicone foam, for example, are used for such applications.

Silicone foil is manufactured in various thicknesses and also processed into stamped parts.

Silicone foam profiles square

Silicone foam profiles are mainly manufactured with closed cells. This leads to a smooth, closed outer skin. These silicone foam profiles can be made self-adhesive on one side. Silicone foam profiles are elastic, deformable, compressible and have very good resilience. They are water repellent and repel organic matter. The outer skin remains intact even with repeated compression.

Fluorosilicones

Fluorosilicone combines the good high and low temperature properties of silicone with good fuel and oil resistance. Fluorosilicone is therefore particularly well suited for a wide temperature range to be covered and simultaneous exposure to aggressive substances such as petrol or alcohol mixtures.

Fluoro-silicone rubber differs from pure silicone rubber (VMQ) in that part of the methyl groups have been replaced by trifluoropropyl groups. Corresponding compounds combine the good swelling resistance of fluorine rubber (FPM) with the low-temperature flexibility of VMQ. FVMQ has physical properties comparable to silicone rubber. Both compound types score equally well with their weather resistance, ozone resistance and extreme low and high temperature resistance.

With regard to chemical resistance, however, fluorosilicone offers additional compatibility with aromatic mineral oils, fuels and low-molecular aromatic hydrocarbons. Some of the fluorosilicone grades also show improved compression set.

Thanks to its excellent media resistance, fluorosilicone rubber is particularly well suited for use in sealing technology. Among other things, O-rings, seals, hose inner layers (e.g. in turbocharger hoses) and membranes for automobiles are made from it, primarily for fuel systems at temperatures of up to 250 °C.

the dr Dietrich Müller GmbH manufactures the required stamped parts. Further fields of application are natural gas plants and conveyor systems for natural gas as well as aerospace technology. Because fluorosilicone compounds have a high shrinkage rate, manufacturing molds for products made from them often differ from those of other elastomers.

Fluorosilicone Rubber (FVMQ) O-Rings

In addition to the typical properties of normal silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber (FVMQ) has significantly improved resistance to oils, fuels and solvents. This applies above all to aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons and alcohols. Areas of application for FVMQ O-rings result from demands for resistance over a wide temperature range from -60 °C to +200 °C with simultaneous exposure to aggressive media, such as e.g. B. gasoline, alcohol mixtures, aromatic and naphthenic oils and a number of chlorinated solvents.

Special silicone solutions

There are many different ways to formulate silicone solutions. We work with the most well-known manufacturers of silicone formulations, who are always ready to develop special solutions for special projects.

Delivery forms of silicone

• Silicone-coated glass fabric, coated on one and both sides
• silicone hoses
• Silicone-fiberglass tubing
• silicone foil
• silicone profiles
• silicone plates
• silicone membranes
• silicone moldings
• silicone foam

For applications with high demands on temperature resistance and chemical resistance, Dr. Dietrich Müller GmbH offers numerous silicone materials. In addition to classic silicone, materials made of [unclear text] are also available. fluorosilicone for use. The product range includes, among other things... silicone foil, silicone sheet, silicone plates, silicone plates, silicone profiles, silicone foam profiles, silicone hoses, Silicone fiberglass tubing, silicone membranes and Silicone coated glass fabricFurthermore, various silicone foams and silicone foam-Materials for sealing and insulation applications are offered. Many of these materials are available in different grades. Shore-grades of hardness are available and can be used for applications according to EN 45545 .