WHAT IS SILICONE MADE OF?

Due to its great properties such as high and low temperature resistance, low chemical reactivity, water repellency, UV resistance, and so on, silicone has swiftly become a very popular safe alternative to harmful plastics.

Silicone cookware is one of the most common applications, as are silicone bake moulds, silicone ice trays, silicone fermentation lids, and so on.

WHAT EXACTLY IS SILICONE AND HOW IS IT CREATED?

So, what precisely is silicone? What is the origin of silicone? To begin answering these queries, let’s define some silicone terminology.

Silicon

Many people confuse the terms silicone and silicon because they are nearly identical in spelling and sound. However, they are not the same thing, and silicone should not be mistaken with silicon. Silicon (Si) is the fourteenth element on the periodic table, and it is the second most plentiful element in the earth’s crust, after oxygen.

It is a metalloid, which means it has both metal and nonmetal properties. Silicon is most usually found in nature as silicon dioxide or silica, which is a combination of silicon and oxygen.

Silica

Silica, commonly known as silicon dioxide, is reduced to silicon metal, which is then combined with other compounds to form silicones. Silicones are manufactured of sands because silica or silicon dioxide, found in nature as quartz, is the most prevalent component of beach sand.

Silicone

Silicone, also referred to as siloxanes, is a man-made polymer composed of silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. Silicones come in a variety of forms, including silicone fluids, resins, liquid silicone, and solid silicone.

After driving the oxygen out of silica in a silicon furnace at a high temperature, the interaction between silica and carbon produces silicon.

The powdered silicon was then mixed with methyl chloride and heated again, resulting in the formation of meth silane, phenylsiane, vinylsilane, and fluoroalkylsilane, which were then refined into silicones such as fluids, rubbers, liquid rubbers, resins, and silanes.

Silicone is a synthetic polymer composed of silicon, oxygen, and additional elements, the most common of which are carbon and hydrogen. Silicone is a liquid or a flexible, rubber-like substance with a number of beneficial features, including low toxicity and great heat resistance. It also serves as an excellent electrical insulator.

Silicone is used in implants, catheters, contact lenses, bandages, and a range of other medical devices. Silicon is also found in a variety of personal care products, such as shampoos, shaving cream, and personal lubricants.

Silicone is used in a variety of kitchenware, including oven mitts, tongs, and pan handles, due to its great heat resistance; silicone’s non-stick qualities also make it ideal for cookware coatings.

The heat resistance and slipperiness of the substance also make it an excellent lubricant for automotive parts (as a lubricating spray or grease).