Search Results

This paper describes a unique method of fabricating high performance silicone parts with liquid silicone rubber (LSR). Both molding and extrusion techniques will be introduced but emphasis will be on fabrication of automotive ignition core. Liquid silicone rubber offers several advances over current systems. It contains no solvent, is pumpable, and produces a core that is round and smooth, reducing the possibilities of stress point failure in cable construction. Good shelf life and a long working time are characteristic of the system along with rapid cure rates and excellent heat resistance. Data will be presented covering thermal life, electrical conductivity and typical physical properties.

Consumers in Europe are purchasing automobiles with diesel engines at an accelerating rate. In addition, European governments are increasingly looking to diesel blends (such as biodiesel, which combines diesel at various levels with oil derived from the Rapeseed plant) as a directly substitutable fuel to 100% petroleum-based diesel. One major concern of the automotive industry is the performance of different elastomeric parts in the new fuels. O-rings made from high modulus fluorosilicone elastomers are used predominantly in automotive fuel line quick-connects. This study reviews the performance of fluorosilicone rubber in diesel and biodiesel blends.

The high-temperature properties of silicone rubber are compared to those of six organic rubbers. New data on properties at temperature, as distinct from standard heat aging data, are presented to guide the designer and materials engineer. The properties of fluorosilicone rubber are also discussed. Current automotive applications of both silicone rubber and fluorosilicone rubber are described.

Derived from aerospace technology, silicone film adhesives are elastomeric materials that use a unique filler to obtain superior mechanical and optical properties. The small particle size of the filler reinforces the silicone polymer matrix and also results in an optically transparent adhesive. These film adhesives offer favorable material properties as well as strong adhesion to many substrates. Both the material and adhesion properties are consistent over a broad range of temperatures and humidity. Consistent material properties arise partly because silicone film adhesives have glass-transition temperatures that are well below the typical operating-temperature range for automotive applications (-40°C to 150°C). The low glass-transition temperature ensures that silicone film adhesives remain in the rubbery state.