CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

ROOM TEMPERATURE VULCANIZING

(RTV) SILICONES
Material and Processing Guidelines
2
WELCOME TO THE
WORLD OF
RTV SILICONES
Contents

Section 1: Discover Diversity 5

Why WACKER silicones optimize the properties and
process technologies of products in all major industries worldwide.

Section 2: Silicone Rubber – Basic Principles 13

Benefit from the chemical structure, components, classes and
property profile of our silicone rubber in your application.

Section 3: Understanding RTV Silicones 21
Short cycle times for mass production or ease of processing
with minimal investment – RTV silicones score with advantageous
properties.

Section 4: Preparing for Production 31

Well begun is half done: From safety, systematic selection
and working with RTV silicones to physical and chemical surface
preparation methods.

Section 5: Processing RTV Silicones 41

How to process, modify and store silicones to achieve best
results for industrial scale production.

Section 6: Spectrum of Technical Applications 57

Sealant adhesives, silicone gaskets, potting, encapsulation,
coating and casting.

Section 7: Service 71
Excellent technologies need best-in-class services.
WACKER ACADEMY, technical centers and e-business
offer excellent expertise and support.

Section 8: Silicones A – Z 77
Facts and figures on RTV silicone rubber.

ELASTOSIL®, LUMISIL®, SEMICOSIL®,

WACKER SilGel® and SILPURAN® are registered
trademarks of Wacker Chemie AG.

3
4
 Discover Diversity
SECTION 1:
DISCOVER DIVERSITY
Contents
Why WACKER silicones optimize the properties and
process technologies of products in all major industries worldwide.

1.1 Diversity in Silicones 6

1.2 Relevant Industries 8

1.3 General Properties of RTV Silicone Elastomers 10

5
1.1
DIVERSITY OF SILICONES

Technical innovations and rapid Room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) With more than 60 years' experience
production development cycles are silicone rubber compounds are a tra- in silicone technology and an
routine in specialized industries. ditional core competence of WACKER. above-average commitment to R&D,
However, to achieve market leader- The range of ready-to-use products WACKER has long become indispens-
ship in the long-term, it is necessary focuses on numerous applications in able to its customers and participates
to set standards. Modern silicone- the fields of bonding, sealing, potting, in their technical progress. This would
based materials increasingly play encapsulation, coating and casting. not be possible without ongoing,
a key role in achieving such goals. Equally broad is WACKER’s experi- confidential dialog and the exchange
ence in processing techniques and of knowledge, experience and ideas,
material requirements specific to these which powers a shared undertaking.
applications, from DIY-scale right up to
industrial production lines.

6
7
Discover Diversity
1.2
RELEVANT INDUSTRIES

E-Mobility

– Battery
– Fuel cell
– Electric motor
– Cables and connectors

Appliances

Automotive Electrical
– Steam irons
Industry Industry
– Dishwashers
– Drive train – Ovens
– Seals and gaskets – Kitchen hoods
– Dampers – Hobs

Mining and
Exploitation
Health Care

– Automotive electronics
– Consumer electronics
– Power modules

Electronics Aerospace

8
 Discover Diversity
Energy Sector

– Solar industry
– Wind power
– Hydro power
– Oil & gas
Food Industry

Lighting Fire Safety

Applications
– LED
– Secondary optics – Cable and pipe duct seals
– Luminaires – Seat cushions

– Orthopedics and prosthetics – Gluing and fixing of silicones

– Wound care – O-rings, profiles
– Dental care
– Construction molding
– Industrial printing Rubber Industry
Medical – Prototype molding
Applications
– Composite industry
– Reproduction molding
– Utility vehicles
Molding and – Marine industry
Mold Making – Railway systems

Transportation

9
1.3
GENERAL PROPERTIES OF
RTV SILICONE ELASTOMERS

Constant
properties over
a wide range of
temperatures and
frequencies

Excellent thermal
resistance

Outstanding long-
term thermal Outstanding
stability from dielectric
-50 °C to +180 °C properties
WACKER
RT V SILICONE
EL ASTOMERS

Very good High chemical

adhesion to a purity and
variety of biocompatibility
substrates

Superior
weathering,
Excellent release UV and radiation
properties resistance

10
 Discover Diversity
Selective gas
permeability

Long-lasting
flexibility Water-repellent
surface and low
Low Young’s moisture uptake
modulus

Very good Chemical Excellent

chemical inertness physiological
resistance tolerance

Excellent
environmental Flame resistance
compatibility and
no harmful
effects

11
12
 Silicone Rubber –
Basic Principles
SECTION 2:
SILICONE RUBBER –
BASIC PRINCIPLES
Contents
Benefit from the chemical structure, components, classes and
property profile of our silicone rubber in your application.

2.1 Chemical Structure 14

2.2 Components of Silicone Rubber 15

2.3 Classes of Silicone Rubber 16

2.4 Properties of Silicone Rubber 18

2.5 Properties of RTV Silicone Elastomers 19

13
2.1
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE
Section of a Polydimethylsiloxane Chain

CH3

CH3
CH3
O Si
CH3 O
O Si CH3 CH3
Si
O
O Si CH3
CH3 Si
O
CH3

CH3

From Quartz to Silicone The properties of silicone rubber PVMQ: PVMQ stands for a VMQ
Silicones are made from quartz. While vary greatly depending on the organic in which a number of methyl
this raw material is available in practi- groups and the chemical structure. groups have been replaced by
cally unlimited quantities, the quality The organic groups may be methyl, phenyl groups.
is crucial. WACKER converts quartz vinyl, phenyl or other groups. Accord-
into silicon metal (Si) via a metallurgical ing to DIN EN ISO 1043-1, silicones FVMQ: FVMQ stands for a VMQ in
process. Then silicon metal is trans- are classified as follows: which a number of methyl groups have
formed into silanes by an integrated been replaced by fluorinated organic
production system based on the MQ: MQ, or polydimethylsiloxane substituents.
Müller-Rochow process. These silanes (PDMS), denotes a polymer in which
are the precursors of polysiloxanes. two methyl groups are bound to the
Polysiloxanes are macromolecules siloxane backbone.
(polymers) comprised of a silicon-
oxygen backbone with an organic VMQ: VMQ stands for a polydimethyl-
moiety bound to the silicon atom. siloxane in which a number of methyl
They are the basis for around 3,000 groups have been replaced by vinyl
different silicone products. groups.

14
 Silicone Rubber –
Basic Principles
2.2
COMPONENTS OF SILICONE RUBBER
Uncured, Filled Polymer Compared with Cured Rubber Additives
Compared with other elastomers,
silicone rubber requires few additives
because the essential properties are
determined by the polysiloxane itself.
Thus, a silicone rubber compound
may comprise only polymer, cross-
linker and filler.
Curing

The choice of additives determines

the material properties and the
processing at the customer. Additives
Uncured polymer with filler. Polymer with chemical can be catalysts, heat stabilizers,
crosslinks (red) forms a filled, adhesion promoters, rheology modifi-
elastic network.
ers and colorants, for instance.
The fact that some of these additives
are naturally colored should be taken
into account by the customer as
this may have an impact on the final
Besides polysiloxanes of different Fillers color of the compound.
chain lengths, uncured silicone Fillers are needed to reinforce the
rubber generally contains only a elastic silicone network. The nature, Colorants
few additional substances, such composition and quantity of the fillers Silicone rubber is generally transparent
as crosslinkers, fillers, additives have a crucial influence on the proper- to opaque but can be colored
and colorants. ties of the uncured and cured rubber. according to customers’ requirements.
Reinforcing fillers For this purpose, WACKER offers a
Crosslinkers The most frequently used reinforcing broad range of pigment pastes that
A crosslinker is required to convert filler is pyrogenic silica with very high can easily be blended with RTV
the uncured rubber into a mechanically BET surface areas (higher than silicone rubber compounds.
stable cured product. Depending 100 m²/g). WACKER HDK® has
on the class of the silicone rubber, proven to be especially effective,
peroxides, silanes or SiH-containing although precipitated silica, silicone
polysiloxanes are required for resins or carbon black can also be
crosslinking, also called curing or used.
vulcanization. Non-reinforcing fillers
These function merely as a fill-up.
Quartz, finely powdered calcium
carbonate, talcum or diatomaceous
earths, for example, increase the cured
rubber's resistance to various media.

15
2.3
CLASSES OF SILICONE RUBBER
Uncured silicone rubber is converted
into elastomer by vulcanization.
Depending on the curing method,
the viscosity of the base polymer and
the curing temperature, silicones are
classified as follows:
• 1-part room-temperature vulcanizing
silicone rubber (RTV-1)
• 2-part room-temperature vulcanizing
silicone rubber (RTV-2)
• Liquid silicone rubber (LSR)
• High-temperature vulcanizing silicone
rubber (HTV).

1-Part Room-Temperature
Vulcanizing Silicone Rubber (RTV-1)
RTV-1 silicone rubber formulations
are one-part, ready-to-use systems.
They consist of polysiloxane, curing
agent, fillers and additives. Right
after application, the material starts
crosslinking on contact with moisture
in the air. Byproducts are released
during curing. Crosslinking starts with
the formation of a skin on the rubber
surface and gradually progresses
into the compound. Depending on
the nature of the crosslinker, a small
amount of acetic acid, amine or
neutral byproducts, such as alcohol,
is released during vulcanization.
RTV-1 silicones are ideal for almost
all sealing, bonding and coating
applications. They are used in the
automotive, construction, electrical
engineering, electronics, health care,
medical and textile sectors, among
others, and also for household
appliances.

16
2-Part Room-Temperature in a number of industries such as Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR)
Vulcanizing Silicone Rubber (RTV-2) mechanical engineering, industrial Liquid silicone rubbers are high-
RTV-2 silicone rubber formulations process engineering, lighting tech- temperature-vulcanizing silicones.
are two-part pourable, spreadable nology electronics, optoelectronics Their consistency and addition-curing
or kneadable compositions that and solar/photovoltaics. mechanism provide them with unique
vulcanize after mixing. They usually processing advantages. Liquid
cure at room temperature (RTV = WACKER silicone gels and silicone silicone rubber has a lower viscosity

Silicone Rubber –
room-temperature vulcanizing) and foams are special types of addition- than solid silicone rubber (HTV). It

Basic Principles
form a highly elastic material. There curing RTV-2 silicones. Silicone gels is thus pumpable and delivered as
are two different types of crosslinking are characterized by a particularly a two-component and ready-to-use
reactions, either by condensation or by low crosslinking density and produce system. LSR is an addition-curing
addition. Condensation curing requires very soft vulcanisates below the Shore silicone, where the curing catalyst in
an organotin catalyst and always hardness range. They are suitable for component A is a platinum compound
releases byproducts. Addition curing various applications in industries such and in component B, the curing agent
requires a platinum catalyst and does as: automotive, transmission and is an SiH-functional polysiloxane. No
not generate any byproduct. distribution, as well as health care byproducts are released during the
or wound care. Specific gels such LSR curing process.
Special RTV-2 silicone rubber grades as low-temperature flexible gels and
can be flash vulcanized using UV fluorinated materials were developed Like all silicones, LSR is also used in
light. The vulcanization time can be especially for the automotive industry. a wide range of industries: automotive,
controlled by adjusting the UV intensity They exert only minimal stress on mechanical and process engineering,
and exposure time. encapsulated components exposed electrical engineering, transmission
to temperature fluctuations. and distribution, construction, food,
For process reasons, addition- health care, baby care and the medical
curing RTV-2 silicone rubber can Silicone foam formulations are sector. WACKER offers specific
be formulated as premixed one- characterized by a high crosslinker automotive applications, like fluorinat-
component systems that contain a content, namely, an SiH-rich ed LSR, which is highly stable on
slow-acting catalyst and only vulcanize polysiloxane. Its basic function is to contact with media such as gasoline,
at elevated temperatures. These crosslink the liquid formulation and engine and gear oils.
systems are characterized by a long release hydrogen, which acts as a
shelf life (up to 12 months) when blowing agent as curing progresses.
stored at room temperature (20 °C to Silicone elastomer foams are typically
25 °C). This group is known as one- used in applications such as light-
component heat-curing silicones and weight construction, damping,
is classified as RTV-2. insulation and fire safety.

Most RTV-2 silicone elastomers – High-Temperature Vulcanizing

silicone rubber in a cured stage – Silicone Rubber (HTV)
retain their full elasticity at up to HTV silicone rubber contains long
180 °C, even after long-term exposure. polymer chains with a high molecular
Some products even withstand short weight, which provides the rubber with
heat exposure up to 300 °C. At low a solid consistency. For this reason,
temperature, they retain their flexibility HTV silicone rubber is also called solid
down to -50 °C. Some special grades silicone rubber or High Consistency
remain flexible even down to -110 °C. silicone Rubber (HCR). HTV silicone
The extensive portfolio of RTV-2 rubber cures by means of organic
silicone rubber products enables the peroxides or a platinum catalyst at
production of silicone elastomers an elevated temperature.
with extremely versatile and highly
specialized properties. Thanks to their outstanding mechanical
properties, HTV silicone elastomers are
Like RTV-1 silicones, RTV-2 used in a large variety of applications
formulations are ideal for almost in the automotive, electrical engine-
all sealing, bonding and coating ering, transmission and distribution,
applications. They are used for mold construction, mechanical and process
making, household appliances and engineering, food, health-care and
health-care applications as well as medical industries. Solid silicone rubber bar (standard supply form)..

17
2.4
PROPERTIES OF SILICONE RUBBER
Inherent Properties Low-Temperature Flexibility versus High-Temperature Resistance
Silicone elastomers are generally
0
expected to be heat resistant
Low-temperature flexibility [°C]

and flexible at both high and low

temperatures. In contrast to organic
-20 ACM FKM
rubbers, this doesn't come at the
expense of the other properties. SBR CR NBR CM/CSM EVM/AEM
CO/ECO HNBR
Silicone elastomers keep their -40 EPDM
excellent mechanical properties
over a very wide temperature range. NR
These characteristics, intrinsic to -60
BR
IIR
Silicones
silicone elastomers, are attributable
Using heat stabilizers
to the polymer and filler structure,
not additives or surface treatment. -80
60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260

Temperature resistance* [°C]

Material Benefits Resulting from
the Polymer Structure * Temperature at which – after 1000 h – half of the initial elongation at break remains

Silicones are characterized by a fully

saturated backbone of alternating
silicon and oxygen atoms. The Si-O
links in the chain have an exceptionally Material Benefits Resulting from High Purity
high bond energy of 451 kJ/mol. the Filler Structure Compared to many organic
By comparison, C-C links have a bond Silicone rubber usually contains elastomers, silicones are considered
energy of 352 kJ/mol. At the same pyrogenic silica as a filler, e.g., HDK® exceptionally pure. Thanks to their
time, the Si-O chain mobility is very from WACKER. Since pyrogenic biocompatibility and physiological
high. The organic side groups shield silica and polysiloxanes are very inertness, silicone elastomers are
the backbone, so that the surface similar in structure, high compatibility highly suitable for applications in
energy is low. is a given, resulting in the following the food, medical and electronic
characteristics: sectors. For this purpose, WACKER
This results in the following properties: • High transparency has developed the SILPURAN®
• Excellent high-temperature • Good mechanical properties thanks brand and specific products within
resistance combined with to effective polymer-filler interaction the ELASTOSIL® and SEMICOSIL®
low-temperature flexibility • Flame resistance and non-toxic com- ranges. Some of these products
• High resistance to chemicals bustion products in the case of fire. feature an exceptionally low ionic or
and environmental influences volatile compound content.
• Excellent weathering,
UV and radiation resistance
• Water-repellent surface.

18
 Silicone Rubber –
Basic Principles
2.5
PROPERTIES OF
RTV SILICONE ELASTOMERS
General Properties of
RTV Silicone Rubber
• Outstanding long-term thermal
resistance from -50 °C to +180 °C;
Specialty grades: down to -110 °C
or up to 270 °C (peak temperature
load may be even lower or higher)
• Only slight changes in physical
properties between -50 °C and
+180 °C
• Low elasticity modulus
• Coefficient of linear thermal
expansion approx.
150∙10-6 – 300∙10-6 m/(m∙K)
• Outstanding dielectric properties
• Constant properties over a wide
temperature and frequency range
• Electrically insulating
• High weathering,
UV and radiation resistance Typical Range of Mechanical Main Property Options
• Fire retardant Properties • (Self-)Bonding or non-adhesive
• Very good chemical resistance • Density: from 0.97 up to over • Thermally insulating or thermally
• Easy to process 3 g/cm³ conductive
• Water-repellent surface paired • Hardness: 20 Shore 00 - 80 Shore • Electrically insulating or electrically
with low moisture uptake A, or jellylike conductive
• Odorless and tasteless (many • Tensile strength: 2 - 10 N/mm² • Wide range of viscosity and hardness
grades are BfR and FDA compliant) • Elongation at break: 100 - 900 % • Pigmentable
• High chemical purity • Tear strength (ASTM D 624):
• Chemical inertness and 5 - 30 N/mm
biocompatibility • Compression set
• High gas permeability (22 h /175 °C) ≥ 5 %

19
20
SECTION 3:
UNDERSTANDING
RTV SILICONES

Understanding
RTV Silicones
Contents
Short cycle times for mass production or ease of
processing with minimal investment – RTV silicones score
with advantageous properties.

3.1 RTV-1 Silicone Rubber 22

3.2 RTV-2 Silicone Rubber 24

Condensation-curing RTV-2 silicones 24
Addition-curing RTV-2 silicones 26
– Two-component silicones
– One-component heat-curing silicones
– UV-curing silicones

21
3.1
RTV-1 SILICONE RUBBER
Condensation Curing (RTV-1)

Step 1 R
X Si X R
OH X
OH X X Si X X
HO X Si R R
X HO X O O Si
O H
Catalyst X
H O
R Si X OH X X X Si O
X X Si X – volatile by-product (HX) O Si
HO R R X X
X Si R X R X
OH X X O Si R
X X Si R H O R
OH OH O Si O X
X X X
HO X Si
O Si
R X R
X
Step 2
R
R
X Si X X
R Catalyst, moisture R
O O Si
X R
– volatile by-product (HX)
X X Si O
O Si X
R R X R
X X O Si R
R
O Si O X R R
X X
X Si
O Si
R X R
X

ELASTOSIL® A: ELASTOSIL® E: ELASTOSIL® N:

R1 O R1
X= N X= CH 3 X= OR1 or N
R2 O O R2

WACKER's RTV-1 silicone rubber Benefits at a Glance Curing Chemistry

compounds are one-component ELASTOSIL® RTV-1 silicone rubber
• Very easy handling and processing
sytems that cure at room temperature. compounds consist of polysiloxanes,
• Low capital investment for processing
Thanks to their ease of processing, curing agents, fillers and, in some
equipment
ELASTOSIL® RTV-1 silicones are cases, solvents and/or additives. RTV-1
• Very good adhesion to a large variety
preferred for applications involving silicones require air moisture to cure.
of substrates
thin layers and tolerable curing times. Since a small amount of by-products
• Insensitive to inhibition by other
However, these grades require long is released during crosslinking,
substances
curing times if applied in thick layers. RTV-1 silicones are classified as
• Available as flowable, self-levelling
This is not compatible with the short condensation-curing materials.
or non-sag grades
cycle times required in mass produc- The various RTV-1 systems available
tion. In such cases, fast-curing RTV-2 at WACKER use different types of
systems, one-component heat- curing agents. Small amounts of
curing silicones, or UV-curing grades byproduct specific to the curing
are more advantageous. In all other agent used are released during curing:
cases, RTV-1 is appropriate. ELASTOSIL® E: acetic acid
ELASTOSIL® A: amine
ELASTOSIL® RTV-1 silicones owe ELASTOSIL® N: oxime or alcohol.
their popularity to their advantageous
properties in combination with
minimal investment.

22
Skin Forming and Curing Film Thickness
The crosslinking of RTV-1 silicone rub- Increasing Curing Speed
11

[ mm ]
ber starts on contact with air moisture. Temperature has a minor effect both
10
Beginning with the formation of a skin on the skin forming time and curing
9
on the surface of the silicone rubber, speed of RTV-1 silicone rubber.
8
it gradually works its way into the com- Curing time can be greatly reduced
7
pound. The curing rate of these silicones by increasing the relative humidity. In
6
is limited by the diffusion speed of the some special cases, increasing the
5
moisture, which typically averages temperature may help to reduce
4

Understanding
1 − 2 mm per day at 23 °C and 50 % curing time. The temperature should

RTV Silicones
3
relative humidity. The rule of thumb is: be raised slowly in order to allow the
2
The higher the relative humidity, the byproducts and solvents to evaporate.
1
faster the curing rate. The final temperature may be
0
1 2 3 4 5 as high as 200 °C provided that the
If air access is limited or only possible Time [d] silicone material films are thin (less
from one side, the thickness of the than 0.5 mm thick). If the films are any
Vulcanization rate of various RTV-1 silicone
applied silicone should not exceed ­ thicker, blistering is likely to ­occur.
rubbers at 50% relative humidity and
10 mm. In closed configurations with- 23 °C in aluminium pans measuring 24 mm Curing is still possible down to approx.
out air access, curing is not possible in diameter and 18 mm in depth. -15 °C.
at all. In such cases, addition-curing
RTV-2 silicone rubber grades are The curing rate of ELASTOSIL® A
Vulcanized Film Thickness
recommended. grades can be accelerated by expo-
15
sure to a humid atmosphere slightly
[ mm ]

14
enriched with up to 1 vol. % of carbon
13
dioxide. During exposure, the relative
12
humidity in the curing chamber or
11
curing tunnel must not exceed 60 %.
10
In fact, optimal curing is achieved
9
using 0.3 to 0.5 vol. % ofCO2 at 30 %
8
to 35 % relative humidity combined
7
with moderate temperature (40 °C to
6
50 °C, e.g., by using infrared lamps).
5
This method, which is particularly
4
suitable for coating processes, enables
3
full curing of a 500 micron silicone
2
layer within 5 minutes.
1

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Time [d]

Relative humidity 5 %

Relative humidity 45 %

Relative humidity 75 %

Relative humidity 85 %

Exemplary vulcanization rate of

ELASTOSIL® RTV-1 grades as a function of
relative humidity at room temperature.

23
3.2
RTV-2 SILICONE RUBBER
CONDENSATION-CURING RTV-2
SILICONES
Depending on the application, a catalyst. When components A and B Curing Chemistry
WACKER offers different RTV-2 are mixed, the mixture immediately From the chemical point of view, the
silicone rubber grades under starts curing to form the elastomer. crosslinking of condensation-curing
the brand names ELASTOSIL®, The mixing ratio A:B varies between RTV-2 silicones is similar to the vul-
SEMICOSIL®, LUMISIL®, SILPURAN®, 1:1 and 100:1, depending on the se- canization of RTV-1 silicone rubber.
POWERSIL®, WACKER SilGel® and lected grade. For non-adhesive potting However, and in contrast to the latter,
CENUSIL®. RTV-2 silicone rubber or mold making grades, the proportion the moisture required to properly cure
formulations are two-component of component B typically ranges from RTV-2 silicones is already included in
systems that cure when component 3 to 5 wt.% based on component A. the base compound (component A).
A (also called rubber base or base In contrast, the two components of Condensation-curing ­ELASTOSIL®
compound) is mixed with compo- self-adhesive, condensation-curing RTV-2 silicone rubber therefore does
nent B (also called curing agent). ­ELASTOSIL® RTV-2 silicones typically not require air moisture to vulcanize,
RTV-2 silicones can be further have an A:B mixing ratio of 8:1 making it suitable for substrate con-
classified by curing systems. to 12:1. figurations where air access is limited.
As the system crosslinks, alcohol is
Condensation-curing ELASTOSIL® Benefits at a Glance released as a byproduct. This causes
RTV-2 silicones consist of two compo- • Rapid curing, compared to RTV-1 a reduction in weight and three-dimen-
nents. Component A contains polymer silicones sional shrinkage of the vulcanizate to
and – if required – fillers and additives. • Crosslinking can be slightly accelerated the order of < 3 % by volume.
Component B contains crosslinker and by raising the temperature
• Curing of thick layers possible
Important • Flowable, self-leveling or non-sag grades
In condensation-curing RTV-2 silicone , • Self-adhesive grades with very good
the rubber base (component A) and the adhesion to a large range of substrates
curing agent (component B) always have • Almost insensitive to inhibition by the
different lot numbers. presence of other substances

Condensation Curing (RTV-2)

RO
RO Si OR OR
OH OR OH
H2O HO RO Si OR
HO OR Catalyst
O H
H O

OH
H2O – low volatile alcohol (ROH)
OR
H2O HO
RO Si OR OR
OH
OR RO Si OR H O
OH OH
OR
HO

24
 Understanding
RTV Silicones
Potlife and Curing Time Typical Potlife Values as a Function of Mixing Ratio with WACKER® Catalyst T 77
The reactivity of condensation-curing
30
[ min ]

RTV-2 silicone rubber is described

25
by the parameters “potlife” and
20
“vulcanizing time” (or “curing time”).
15
The potlife usually indicates the
10
maximum period of time during which
5
the mix of component A and B is still
0
pourable, spreadable or kneadable. 8 10 12
For applications in which good flow- Parts ELASTOSIL® RT 77x to one part curing agent
ability is an important requirement ELASTOSIL® RT 771 ELASTOSIL® RT 772 ELASTOSIL® RT 778
(e.g., encapsulating electrical or elec-
tronic components with very small
gaps), the time required for the initial Modifying Curing Speed • Increased hardness
viscosity value to double is often quot- Condensation-curing ELASTOSIL® • Reduced elasticity
ed as the potlife. RTV-2 silicone elastomers typically • Embrittlement (where air moisture
have a potlife range between 5 and is present, the elastomer will carry
Curing is characterized by an increase 45 minutes, and take 15 to 90 minutes on curing).
in viscosity that causes reduced flow- to cure. Both potlife and curing time
ability and a decrease in plasticity. can be adjusted by selecting either a Curing speed can be slightly accelerat-
Therefore, the material should be used “slow” or a “fast” curing agent and by ed by raising the temperature. Heating,
before the potlife has elapsed. The varying the mixing ratio within certain however, must not exceed 80 °C be-
figures for the vulcanizing time quoted limits. To ensure reliable processing, fore curing is completed, otherwise
in the technical data sheet specify the however, the potlife must not be less the silicone rubber could be destroyed.
time for the rubber to cure until it is than 2 minutes. The more curing agent At temperatures above 80 °C, the
tack-free, i.e., when it can be touched used, the shorter the curing time. crosslinking reaction is reversed and
without feeling sticky (except silicone the system either remains tacky or the
gels, which remain tacky). The ultimate If the amount of curing agent (com- consistency reverts to a soft state.
properties, however, are usually ponent B) is lower than prescribed,
reached after some hours or even incomplete curing will result yielding Modifying Adhesive Properties
days. The cured rubber should not soft or even tacky rubber with low Depending on the type of curing agent,
be used until all byproducts formed mechanical strength. The elastomer’s condensation-curing ELASTOSIL®
have completely evaporated. resistance to swelling by solvents or RTV-2 silicone elastomers are self-ad-
Potlife and vulcanizing time can be casting resin components is also hesive or non-adhesive. For example,
modified within limits by choosing a significantly reduced. If the amount of it is possible to transform non-adhesive
fast or slow curing agent and by ad- curing agent is higher than prescribed, ELASTOSIL® M grades into self-ad-
justing the ratio of base compound the resulting elastomer contains an hesive material by choosing a curing
(component A) to curing agent (com- excess of crosslinking agent resulting agent from the WACKER® Catalyst
ponent B). Catalysts and mixing in the following effects: T7x or WACKER® Catalyst T8x series.
ratios are specified in the technical • Decreased release properties
data sheets of each rubber grade. of the rubber

25
3.2
RTV-2 SILICONE RUBBER
ADDITION-CURING RTV-2 SILICONES
Two-Component Silicones Benefits at a Glance Curing Chemistry
Addition-curing RTV-2 silicone rubber • Rapid curing at room temperature, even
Addition-curing RTV-2 silicones cure
compounds consist of two compo- of thick layers
via a completely different mechanism
nents (A and B), one of which contains • Crosslinking is significantly accelerated
to that of condensation-curing sys-
polymer and crosslinker, the other, by raising the temperature
tems: when the two components are
polymer and a platinum catalyst. When • No byproducts, no weight loss and
mixed, the polymer, a platinum catalyst
the two components are mixed, they practically no shrinkage (< 0.1 %) on
and the curing agent are brought into
cure to form the elastomer product. curing
contact with each other. During this
• Self-adhesive grades show very good
reaction, the polymer chains cross-
The mixing ratio of addition-curing adhesion to a large variety of substrates
link through hydrosilylation of the vinyl
RTV-2 silicone rubber components is • Low compression set
groups by means of the hydrogen-
typically 1:1, 9:1 or 10:1 by weight, • Excellent media resistance
containing crosslinker. Since no
depending on the chosen product. • Outstanding heat resistance
volatile byproducts are formed during
A different ratio of A:B generally can • Available as flowable, self-levelling and
crosslinking, there is neither a risk of
lead to incomplete curing or to signifi- non-sag grades
reversion of the crosslinking reaction
cant changes in the product proper- at elevated temperature, nor chemical
ties. Unless otherwise specified, the shrinkage of the vulcanizate due to
two components must always have weight loss.
the same batch number.

Addition Curing

Addition of H-siloxanes
to C=C double bonds

Pt-catalyzed
hydrosilylation

Uncured state Elastic state

26
 Understanding
RTV Silicones
Potlife and Curing Time Modifying Curing Speed
As with condensation-curing RTV-2 Unlike condensation-curing RTV-2
silicones, the reactivity of addition- silicone elastomers, the curing rate
curing RTV-2 silicone rubber formula- of addition-curing RTV-2 silicones
tions is described by the parameters can be controlled additionally by
“potlife” and “vulcanizing time”. The altering the temperature, but not by
potlife usually indicates the maximum changing the mixing ratio. Therefore,
period of time during which the increasing or decreasing the tempera-
catalyzed mix of A and B is proces- ture shortens or prolongs both the
sible (or during which the initial viscos- potlife and curing time. As a rule of
ity has doubled in value). The figures thumb, a temperature change of
quoted for the vulcanizing time specify approx. 10 °C halves or doubles
the time to cure until tack-free. The potlife and curing speed.
average potlife of RTV-2 silicones
typically varies between 30 minutes As an alternative, the potlife and cur-
and 6 hours. For specific grades it ing time can be modified within wide
can be a few minutes. limits by adding WACKER® Inhibitor
PT 88 (longer potlife), or WACKER®
Room-temperature-vulcanized addi- Catalyst EP (shorter potlife). For further
tion-curing silicone elastomers reach information, please refer to the respec-
their ultimate properties after some tive flyer.
days. Even vulcanizates produced at a
relatively high temperature and there-
fore usually presumed usable immedi-
ately after curing, sometimes continue
to crosslink to a certain extent dur-
ing the subsequent room-temperature
ageing. However, the ultimate proper-
ties of the vulcanizate can be reached
fastest by ageing the cured RTV-2 sili-
cone rubber for several hours at rela-
tively moderate temperatures (100 °C -
120 °C), also known as post-curing.

27
3.2
RTV-2 SILICONE RUBBER
ADDITION-CURING RTV-2 SILICONES
One-Component Heat-Curing Curing ELASTOSIL® RT 70x Grades
Silicones
30
[min ]

One-component, heat-curing silicones

25
contain the same components as the
20
two-component addition-curing sili-
15
cones, but they are supplied as one-
10
part products with an appropriately
5
long shelf life at ambient temperature.
0
Consequently, they cure by the same 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
chemical reaction, but they need to be Temperature [°C]
heated to the kick-off temperature in
order to start the curing process.

The obvious advantage of one-com-

ponent, heat-curing silicone rubbers
is that they can be processed without Please Note
mixing equipment, making them These products are ready to use and do
suitable for both short and long pro- not accommodate fine adjustments of
duction runs. They should be favored curing speed by adding inhibitor or plati-
over two-component addition-curing num catalyst. Detailed information about
silicones if mixing equipment for kick-off temperature and curing speed at
two-component products cannot be various temperature levels are shown in
purchased for technical or financial the corresponding technical data sheet.
reasons.

The curing speed of one-component Benefits at a Glance

heat-curing silicones depends only on • Low capital investment
temperature. They are typically cured • Suitable for short production runs
between 130 °C – 200 °C. Below this • Long potlife at room temperature
range, crosslinking takes much longer • Short curing time at elevated
or doesn’t even start. This may result temperature
in poor adhesion, depending on the • Very good adhesion to many
nature of the substrates. Conversely, substrates
excessive temperature disturbs the • Available as flowable, self-levelling
vulcanization process and impairs the and non-sag grades
properties of the vulcanized material.

28
 Understanding
RTV Silicones
UV-Curing Silicones
In order to support high productivity
for large-scale series in customer pro-
cesses, WACKER has developed UV-
curing silicones. These addition-curing
silicones contain a unique catalyst
that is inactive in the dark. UV light is
required to activate the catalyst that
triggers the crosslinking reaction. This
is basically the same chemical reaction
as for addition-curing RTV-2 silicones.

WACKER’s UV grades only need to

be irradiated for a few seconds. They
then cure completely and rapidly –
within a few seconds to a few minutes
– at room temperature. The higher the
irradiation intensity, the greater the
number of active catalyst molecules
and the faster the silicone's curing
speed. As long as the material is not
exposed to UV light, it remains proces-
sible. However, once active catalyst
molecules have been generated, cur-
ing willcontinue even if the UV light is
switched off.

Please Note
The UV catalyst is also sensitive to
daylight.

29
30
SECTION 4:
PREPARING FOR
PRODUCTION
Contents
Well begun is half done: From safety, systematic selection
and working with RTV silicones to physical and chemical
surface-­preparation methods.

4.1 Safety First 32

4.2 Systematic Selection 33

for Production
Preparing
4.3 Working with RTV Silicones 34

4.4 Physical Surface Preparation Methods 36

4.5 Chemical Surface Preparation Methods 38

31
4.1
SAFETY FIRST
Safety Precautions Some RTV silicone rubber grades may Cleaning
Before processing WACKER products, also contain volatile solvents. Vapor In the case of spillage, remove the
please carefully read the correspond- formed during vulcanization should not bulk of unvulcanized RTV silicone
ing material safety datasheet available be inhaled. Additionally, the flamma- with a spatula, paper or a rag.
from WACKER subsidiaries on request bility of all volatile compounds must Residues can then be washed off
or visit WACKER’s website be taken into account. The work place with a grease-dissolving solvent, such
(www.wacker.com) where detailed should be well ventilated in accor- as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK),
information on all safety matters can dance with the threshold limit values isopropanol, white spirit or a similar
be found. (TLV) of the respective country. isoaliphatic solvent. All tools should
likewise be cleaned immediately
For most WACKER silicone rubber If, despite all protective measures, after use before the silicone rubber
products, standard industrial hygiene skin contact with uncured RTV silicone has vulcanized. When machines or
precautions are adequate for handling rubber occurs, clean the affected dispensing equipment are cleaned,
and processing. However, a few area immediately with soap and water. white spirit or similar non-polar
products are classified as hazardous If uncured silicone rubber comes solvents are recommended. Ideally,
and therefore require special safety into contact with the eyes, irrigate cleaning should take place before
measures. them immediately with copious the rubber is fully vulcanized.
amounts of water for several minutes.
For example, curing agents for If the irritation continues, immediately Fully cured silicone rubber is removed
condensation-curing RTV rubber seek medical advice. mechanically, if necessary, after using
formulations may cause skin or eye a non-polar solvent to swell it. It can
irritation after direct contact. Therefore, also be removed with any commercial-
appropriate protective measures have ly available silicone remover or by
to be taken. Additionally, condensa- pyrolysis. It is best to allow surplus
tion-curing RTV silicones release small catalyzed mix to cure in the containers,
amounts of amine, acetic acid, oxime after which it can be readily removed.
or alcohol during vulcanization.
Instructions for proper disposal of the
uncured components and vulcanizates
are also included in the respective
safety data sheet.

32
4.2
SYSTEMATIC SELECTION
WACKER offers different RTV silicones

for Production
Comparative Curing of a 10-mm Silicone Coating
marketed under the brand names

Preparing
100
[% ]

ELASTOSIL®, SEMICOSIL®, LUMISIL®,

90
SILPURAN®, POWERSIL®, WACKER
80
SilGel® and CENUSIL®. The process-
70
ing properties may differ substantially.
60
It is essential to select the silicone
50
system that suits the customer’s pro-
40
duction requirements best.
30

20

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time [d]

RTV-2 RTV-1

Silicone Systems and Production Requirements

RTV-2 Silicones One-Component Systems

• Addition-curing and condensation-curing 2-part • One-component systems that cure exclusively at high temperature
Fast curing

systems that vulcanize at room temperature • Simple metering equipment suffices to process them
• Dual-component metering equipment is needed • Curing is fast, sometimes only minutes
to process them
RTV-1 Silicones
• Rapid curing time of a few minutes is achieved
• One-component systems that cure at room temperature
by working at elevated temperatures or selecting
• Simple metering equipment suffices to process them;
a suitable curing agent
these rubber grades can even be applied manually
• Air moisture is needed for curing

Easy processing

33
4.3
WORKING WITH RTV SILICONES
The essential features of room- Rheological Behavior of Silicones
temperature curing silicone rubber are:
100
• Consistency
Relative dynamic
viscosity [%]

90
• Viscosity
80
• Reactivity
70
• Mechanical properties
60
• Dielectric properties
50
• Heat resistance
40

30
Consistency
20
According to the type, WACKER RTV
10
silicone rubber compounds can be
0
pourable, spreadable, non-sag or 0 2 4 6 8 10
kneadable. Depending on their con- Shear rate [s-1]

sistency, they are suitable for a large Unfilled silicone (Newtonian) Filled silicone (pseudoplastic)
number of processing techniques,
including spraying, dipping, potting,
encapsulating, silk-screen printing Relaxation Behavior of Various Filled Silicone Blends after Applying Shear Force
and automated application of sealing 100
0.5 s-1 10 s-1 0.5 s-1
Relative dynamic
viscosity [%]

beads. Non-sag (also called non-slump) 90

grades differ from spreadable grades 80
in their reduced flowability: up to a 70
specific maximum thickness (usually 60
10 mm), they neither sag nor run off 50
from a vertical or inclined surface. 40
The consistency of kneadable com- 30
pounds is usually characterized by 20
quoting the penetration. It is deter- 10
mined by using a standard cone under 0
a specific load and given in mm/10. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140
Time [s]
The higher the penetration value, the
softer the compound. Thixotropic Non-thixotropic

Viscosity
The suitability of a compound for a compound. The viscosity of RTV Newtonian fluids have a constant
particular processing method is dicta- silicone rubber compounds is usually viscosity independent from the
ted by its rheological properties, for between 500 and 2,000,000 mPa⋅s. shearing. In non-Newtonian fluids,
example, its viscosity. The viscosity The viscosity further depends on the viscosity depends on the
of a material describes its flow charac- the temperature. Precise temperature shearing and therefore the viscosity
teristics. The higher the viscosity, control during measurement is needs to be quoted for specific
the less pourable or the stiffer the therefore essential. shear rates.

34
 The compression set is defined as
the permanent deformation remaining
when a force is removed and it is
given as the percentage of original
specimen thickness. The lower the
value, the higher the resilience of the
silicone elastomer. Condensation-
curing silicones usually exhibit a high
compression set, whereas addition-
curing grades show values below 20 %.

Dielectric Properties
The viscosity given for high shear-rates Mechanical Properties Silicones are basically not electrically
characterizes the flow properties of The properties of vulcanized silicones conductive. The dielectric properties
the compound under intense shearing, are determined to some extent by of silicone elastomers are largely
for example during metering, extrusion, independent of consistency, reactivity,
the type of curing system. For applica-
stirring, knife-coating, etc. The viscosity mechanical properties and curing
tions causing high mechanical stress,
given for low shear rates describes system. The breakdown voltage
addition-curing grades are more suit-
the performance under low or zero of a cured silicone specimen (1mm
able than their condensation-curing
shearing, for example the flow of the thickness) ranges from 20 kV/mm to

for Production
counterparts. 100 kV/mm (IEC 60243-1).
compound after application. Many

Preparing
RTV silicone rubber formulations show
non-Newtonian and shear thinning
The most relevant mechanical proper- Heat Resistance
behavior. In such cases, it is always ties of cured RTV silicones are hard- The heat resistance of silicones is
necessary to quote the viscosity to- ness, tensile strength, tear resistance, far superior to that of most organic
gether with the shear rate at which it elongation at break and compression elastomers. Properly cured RTV
has been measured. set. silicone rubber easily withstands
continuous high temperatures of up
If viscosity doesn’t recover immediately The hardness is measured by indenta- to 180 °C: the mechanical proper-
after shearing, but is retarded over tion and is usually quoted on the Shore ties do not alter significantly, and heat
time, this behavior is called thixotropic. A scale: the higher the Shore A value, stress has no considerable influence
The rheological properties of thixotropic the harder the cured rubber. However, on the bonding strength of RTV silicone
silicone rubber formulations therefore joints. For particularly demanding
the hardness of printing pads or
depend on the preliminary treatment, applications, where parts are exposed
silicone gels is too low to allow mea-
e.g., pumping, stirring, or mixing. to a temperature higher than 200 °C,
surement of the Shore A hardness.
even for prolonged periods, RTV
The Shore 00 indentation scale is used
Reactivity silicones need to be heat-stabilized.
for very soft materials and the penetra- Metal oxides (such as of iron or titani-
As described above, the reactivity
tion is quoted for even softer materials. um) and some carbon black grades
of RTV silicones is characterized by
either skin-forming time (RTV-1) or
Whereas higher values mean greater are particularly suitable for this pur-
potlife / curing time (RTV-2) or kick-off hardness for both Shore 00 and Shore pose. Heat-stable WACKER RTV
temperature (one-component heat cur- A hardness, the reverse is true for silicone grades show remarkable
ing grades). The reactivity of penetration: the higher the value, the stability in the long-term at tempera-
RTV-2 silicone rubber formulations softer the vulcanizate. tures of up to 270 °C.
can be modified by the choice of cat-
alyst, mixing ratio and temperature, Tensile strength, tear resistance and These grades can be exposed to
whereas the curing of RTV-1 grades elongation at break are derived from even higher temperatures but then
can be accelerated by increasing stress-strain graphs determined by degradation, discoloration or loss in
relative humidity up to 80%. standardized tensile tests. Materials mechanical strength must be taken
with a tear strength of >10 N/mm into consideration.
and a tensile strength of >5 MPa are
so-called high-strength silicones.

35
4.4
PHYSICAL SURFACE-
PREPARATION METHODS

Surface Cleaning Addition-curing RTV silicones, how- Regardless of the type of silicone to
The crosslinking agents used in ever, are much more sensitive. Small be used, the surfaces to be bonded
condensation-curing silicones often amounts of surface contaminants must be clean, dry and free from
act as adhesion promoters. Therefore may cause adhesion problems or grease, waxes or other contaminants.
RTV-1 silicones and condensation- even inhibition. Examples of inhibiting Suitable cleaners include low-boiling
curing RTV-2 silicones are robust pollutants are materials containing solvents (caution: flammable) that
adhesives or sealants: they adhere sulfur or amino groups, plasticizers, evaporate without leaving any residue,
very well to many substrates and urethanes and organometallic com- e.g., acetone, isopropanol or aliphatic
are relatively tolerant to surface pounds – especially organotin com- solvents. Modern cleaning techniques,
contamination. pounds. If a substrate’s ability to in- such as dry-ice blasting or laser
hibit the silicone’s cure is unknown, a cleaning, are also applicable.
small-scale test should be run to as-
sess compatibility.

36
 for Production
Preparing
Surface Pretreatment Very smooth plastic and metal
Usually pretreatment is not needed surfaces may require slight roughening
when glass, ceramic materials, with sandpaper or, in the case of
aluminum, stainless steel or selected metal, sandblasting. After removing the
thermoplastics with polar surfaces abrasive dust, the surface should be
(PA, PBT, polyester grades, etc.) are cleaned with e.g., isopropanol, white
to be bonded with a self-adhesive RTV spirit or a similar aliphatic solvent.
silicone. However, more demanding
substrates, such as polyaliphatic Please Note
polymers, polycarbonate, ABS, Despite physical pretreatment, it still
PMMA or PPS compounds, require might be challenging to achieve a
pretreatment (corona discharge, low permanent bond with some substrates
pressure plasma, flame treatment or that contain plasticizers, anti-oxidants,
Pyrosil® treatment) to obtain reliable bitumen or oils with a tendency to
bonding. This is also mandatory migrate.
when joining substrates by means of
addition-curing RTV-2 silicones, which
are not self-adhesive.

37
4.5
CHEMICAL SURFACE-
PREPARATION METHODS
Perfect Adhesion Special Characteristics Primer Application Step by Step
Some ELASTOSIL® RTV silicone • Excellent adhesion promotion to 1. The substrate must be clean
rubber formulations are inherently various substrates (free of dust, grease, oils or other
self-adhesive, such as all RTV-1 • Solvent based, thus suitable for contaminants) and dry. Very
silicone rubber grades. Others contain various coating techniques like smooth surfaces should be rough-
adhesion promoters to facilitate dipping, brushing or spraying ened, cleaned and degreased as
adhesion to a wide range of substrates. • Miscible with organic solvents described above.
Sometimes, though, priming is for further dilution 2. The (diluted) primer is applied
advisable and even essential for by spraying, dipping or brushing
perfect results. There is no “universal primer” suitable (thin coat with no bubbles). For
for every kind of application. To make absorbent surfaces, priming must
Primer a proper choice, both the kind of be repeated several times.
The adhesion of RTV silicones can be substrate and the RTV silicone rubber 3. The primed parts must be air dried
enhanced by preparing the surfaces grade must be considered for at least 15 minutes.
beforehand with a primer. Primers are 4. The pretreated surfaces are stored
low viscous formulations of reactive Please Note in a clean and dust-free place for
silanes and/or siloxanes. While drying, A too-thick primer layer can reduce minimum 1 hour and maximum
they form a resinous silicone film, to adhesion. In order to reduce the layer 12 hours in order to allow the cross-
which the RTV silicone rubber bonds thickness, it is recommend to dilute the linking of the primer. Alternatively,
during curing. Primers thus promote primer directly before use with a nonpolar the primer can be baked for 15 to
adhesion between the RTV silicone solvent (white spirit or a similar aliphatic 40 minutes at 100 to 150 °C.
and the substrate. solvent) in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio (primer :
solvent). Please Note
Primers are sensitive to moisture. Opened
containers should always be stored in a
cool, dry place with regular checks for
cloudiness or white sediment. If there is
a white precipitate, the primer should not
be used.

Primer Selection
Kinematic Viscosity Color Solvent Suitable for
in mm²/s
WACKER® Primer G 790 1 Yellowish Isoalkanes/ General purpose
Toluene
WACKER® Primer G 790 1 Yellowish Isoalkanes General purpose
TOLUENE FREE
WACKER® Primer G 791 5,200 / 120 Opaque Isoalkanes Silicone-to-silicone bonding
WACKER® Primer G 795 2 Yellowish Isoalkanes General purpose
(preferably for addition-curing RTV-2 silicones)
WACKER® Primer G 718 1 Orange Acetone/ Bonding RTV-1 silicones to
Toluene thermoplastics and metals
WACKER® Primer FD 2 Yellowish Acetone/ Porous, absorbent surfaces
Toluene
WACKER® Primer FMP HC 0.8 Yellowish Isoalkanes Substrates with Zn-based coatings
®
WACKER Primer AV A/B 5 / 100 Yellowish Isopropanol Wood and aluminum
(preferably for addition-curing RTV-2 silicones)

38
Multicomponent Techniques Step by Step Application Please Note
Similar to primers, RTV-1 silicone 1. Substrate must be carefully Fluorinated thermoplastics require
rubber compounds can be used to cleaned and degreased if special pre-treatment methods, such
pre-coat surfaces, thus creating the necessary. as chemical etching. Furthermore, it
prerequisite for a durable, firm bond. 2. If required, the RTV-1 silicone still might be challenging to achieve a
These materials are supplied ready- rubber can be diluted with a permanent bond with some substrates
to-process in tubes, cartridges or non-polar, water-free solvent that contain substances such as plasti-
pails, and they cure on exposure (white spirit or a similar aliphatic cizers, antioxidants, bitumen and oils
to air moisture. grade) in order to ease processing. with a tendency to migrate.
3. The (diluted) RTV-1 silicone rubber
should be applied to a maximum
thickness of 0.5 mm, for example
with a coating knife, by brushing,
screen printing or spraying.
4. If a solvent has been used, the
coated parts must be air dried for

for Production
at least 15 minutes.

Preparing
5. T he pretreated surfaces are stored
in a clean and dust-free place.
Depending on the air humidity, the
optimum bond strength at room
temperature is achieved within
12 to 15 hours. The process is
much faster between 50 °C and
80 °C and at high humidity.
The material must be fully cured
prior to further processing.

RTV-1 Silicones Suitable for Multicomponent Techniques

Consistency Type Color Solvent Not
recommended for
ELASTOSIL® E 41 Flowable Acetoxy Transparent Toluene Addition-curing RTV-2 silicones
Surfaces prone to corrosion
ELASTOSIL® E 43 N Self-levelling Acetoxy Translucent None Surfaces prone to corrosion
®
ELASTOSIL N 2010 Flowable Alkoxy Translucent None Addition-curing RTV-2 silicones
ELASTOSIL® N 10 Flowable Oxime Translucent None Addition-curing RTV-2 silicones
SILPURAN® 4200* Self-levelling Acetoxy Translucent None Surfaces prone to corrosion

* for medical applications

39
40
SECTION 5:
PROCESSING RTV
SILICONES
Contents
How to process, modify and store silicones to achieve best
results for industrial scale production.

5.1 Basic Guidelines 42

5.2 Manual Mixing 44

5.3 Air Removal 45

5.4 Fully Automated Material Processing 46

5.5 Post-Treatment 47

5.6 Modifying Silicone Rubber 48

5.7 Storage 52

RTV Silicones
Processing
5.8 Trouble Shooting 53

41
5.1
BASIC GUIDELINES
WACKER RTV silicones can be pro-
cessed in many different ways. Since
the choice of material, application
method and processing equipment
always depends on a number of
factors, the following questions
should be clarified first:
• What is the application?
• What are the substrates involved?
• What are the material requirements
in terms of the chemical and physical
properties of the cured rubber?
• Is a liquid, self-levelling or non-sag
RTV silicone formulation the right
choice?
• Can a two-component grade be
processed, or is a one-component
material mandatory?
• Which curing temperature is
preferred? Do the substrates
involved allow curing at temperature
levels higher than room temperature?
• Is adhesion required? If so, will a
surface pre-treatment be necessary?
• What equipment is available and how
much investment is required,
if any?
• What experience/expertise is
available for the particular process?
• What type of geometry does the part
have? Complex or simple?
• How large is the required production
series?

42
Manual Equipment Automatic Metering Equipment Preparing the Components
For manual processing of smaller Depending on their specific rheological for Processing
quantities, we recommend the properties, RTV silicone rubber Some pourable RTV silicone grades
following basic equipment: compounds can be processed us- contain large quantities of fillers
• Balance ing automatic metering systems at in order to obtain high thermal
• Clean beaker made of metal or low pressure. Automated dip coating, conductivity, elevated hardness
plastic (preferably polyethylene) casting, dispensing, screen printing or improved oil resistance, etc.
• Pipette or disposable syringe and spraying is likewise possible with Depending on the formulation, such
• Metal or plastic spatula modern application techniques, such fillers may slowly sediment during
• Brush to apply low viscous as jetting, vacuum potting or vacuum storage. The same applies to
formulations bonding. pigments which have been used
• Mechanical stirrer, e.g., electric drill to color liquid grades. To ensure
with paddle stirrer (for kneadable A large number of manufacturers uniform distribution of the fillers or
compounds: roll mill or kneader) offer automatic mixing and metering pigments, the compounds must be
• Vacuum pump (oil or water-jet pump) equipment for WACKER RTV silicones. thoroughly stirred:
and vacuum box (e.g., glass or plastic A comprehensive list is available on • Prior to processing once removed
desiccator) request. from the original packaging,

RTV Silicones
preferably using a mechanical stirrer

Processing
• Grease-dissolving solvent (e.g., white
spirit, acetone, methyl-ethyl-ketone, • Prior to transfer from the
isopropanol). original packaging into the metering
equipment
• During the time spent in the supply
vessels of the metering equipment.

Some grades may thicken slightly

during long storage. Stirring prior to
use is beneficial and can often restore
their optimum flow properties.

43
5.2
MANUAL MIXING
Flowable RTV-2 Silicone Grades
Manual mixing of two-component
RTV silicones is only recommended
for flowable compounds. For econo-
mical, large-scale processing, the use
of automatic metering equipment,
which includes static or dynamic
mixers, is recommended.

To mix small quantities, a spatula is

adequate. If the amount is relatively
large, a mechanical stirrer has to
be employed. Suitable stirring tools
are paddle stirrers with perforated,
inclined blades. High-speed stirrers
using toothed discs (dissolvers) are
also suitable.

The equipment employed must

always be scrupulously cleaned before
processing addition-curing RTV-2 Important Non-Slump RTV-2 Silicone Grades
silicones. It is mandatory to use If the viscosity of the two components Small quantities of non-sag grades
different equipment for component differs greatly, the less viscous compo- are best processed from side-by-
A and B, as even traces of catalyst nent tends to accumulate on the wall side cartridges using a pneumatic
will cause the component containing of the beaker during mixing. This might gun and a static mixer. Small-scale
the crosslinker to cure. result in an unevenly cured product. trial mixtures can be prepared in the
Therefore, it is necessary to scrape same way as described above for
It is also mandatory that the two the beaker wall with a spatula at short flowable grades. However, the risk
components are thoroughly mixed intervals. This also applies when a of entrapping air and thus creating
in the prescribed ratio to form a mechanical stirrer is used for mixing. blistered vulcanizates has to be taken
homogeneous compound. If the into account. For processing large
components have different colors, quantities of shear thinning/thixotropic
they should be mixed until the grades, we recommend using auto-
compound is totally streak free. matic dosing equipment, which can be
run with either static mixers or dynamic
mixing heads, depending on the RTV
silicone grade.

44
5.3
AIR REMOVAL
Air is readily soluble in silicones, which This step should be repeated until
often is the root cause for blistered the mix collapses completely under
vulcanizates. Further, if mixing is not full vacuum.
done under vacuum or in a closed
system, a certain amount of air is The deaeration process should not
unavoidably introduced into the rubber take more than 10 minutes, otherwise
compound. RTV silicone rubber com- some volatile compounds essential
pounds only occasionally present a for curing might escape. If the mix
low enough viscosity to be self-deaer- has not collapsed completely by then,
ating, allowing entrapped air to escape either the container was too small or
within the respective potlife. the vacuum was not strong enough
to remove all the air trapped in the
If voids or bubbles appear during rubber.
crosslinking, absorbed and entrapped
air must be removed from the rubber Automatic dosing systems for pro-
compound prior to curing. Pourable cessing flowable two-component
RTV silicone rubber compounds silicones are often equipped with

RTV Silicones
Processing
(i.e., products with a viscosity of up automatic deaeration devices. For
to 200,000 mPa∙s) can be deaerated demanding applications requiring
in a vacuum box or a vacuum cabinet the complete absence of any voids,
at reduced pressure (10 - 20 mbar). dispensing in a vacuum cabinet is
An oil pump should be used to obtain recommended.
such low pressure. If tap water at very
low temperature (less than 10 °C) is In contrast to pourable compounds,
available, a water-jet pump might also high viscous or non-sag compounds
suffuce. cannot be de-aerated by evacuation.
Using automatic dispensing lines or
The capacity of the container for side-by-side cartridges equipped with
deaeration should be four times the static mixers prevents air entrapment
volume of the product, as the silicone during mixing.
rubber will foam extensively when the
vacuum is applied. If the volume of
the container is adequate, the rising
mix usually collapses before it reaches
the rim. However, if it appears likely to
overflow, the vacuum can be broken
slightly by a small shot of air.

45
5.4
FULLY AUTOMATED MATERIAL
PROCESSING
Processing large quantities on an gear pumps, helical pumps or volu- Dosing
industrial scale requires automatic metric piston systems, to the mixing The (mixed) material is applied to a
metering equipment fitted with follower unit, which can be either a static or substrate via a robot-mounted dis-
plates allowing the dispensing directly a dynamic mixer. pensing nozzle. Dispensing systems
from the original container. Despite with fixed nozzles, where a robot
their widely differing viscosity, flowable Static mixers do not have moving moves the construction parts, are
as well as non-slump RTV silicones parts, and the material is homogenized also commercially available, as are
can be metered and mixed, if via fixed mixing elements on the inte- multi-nozzle or jetting systems. Modern
applicable, in the same way. rior. Dynamic mixers support homog- dosing machines offer accurate control
enization with moving parts. The length of both the metering and dispensing
Important and diameter of the static mixer as process.
Metering equipment using pressurized well as the number and shape of the
air is disadvantageous. There is a signifi- mixing elements influence the mixing Vulcanization
cant risk of generating bubbles in the quality. The most suitable mixer should The applicable temperature and
vulcanizate due to the high solubility of be chosen, depending on the rheologi- resulting curing time strongly depend
air in silicone. For silicone foams, however, cal properties and the flow rate of the on the type of RTV silicone, the volume
the admixing of air to the components RTV silicone grade. of material applied and the assembly
can improve the silicone foam structure. The homogeneous color of the com- configuration. RTV-1 silicone rubber
pound helps identify problems arising is usually cured at room temperature
when feeding one of the two compo- (20 °C to 25 °C) and 40 % to 60 %
Mixing nents or with the mixing element. In relative air humidity. Due to the low
RTV-2 silicones require mixing systems. case of prolonged production breaks, vulcanization speed and the small
The metering units pump component flushing the mixing unit with the base amount of by-products released,
A and component B in the specified component, which does not contain ventilated curing cabinets with air
ratio directly from the pails or drums the crosslinker is recommended. moisture control are recommended.
and feed them, supported by additional Process cycle time may vary between
a couple of minutes and days.
Mixing and Metering Equipment for RTV Silicone Rubber
Condensation-curing RTV-2 silicones
usually don’t require air moisture
control. They are preferably cured at
  room temperature. Optionally, curing
speed can be slightly accelerated by
heating up to a maximum of 70 °C.
Ventilation of the curing site is

Material supply units for recommended to ensure the safe
component A and component B removal of the evaporated by-pro-
(including piston pumps and ducts. The process cycle time
follower plates, if necessary) typically ranges from minutes to
  hours. Addition-curing RTV silicones

Metering pumps can have a different curing time and
(e.g., gear pump or helical curing temperature. Some grades can
pump) be cured at room-temperature within
hours, while others are preferably
 vulcanized at a higher temperature
Dosing unit with mixing device
(e.g., dynamic mixing head or (80 °C to 200 °C) in order to substan-
 static mixer) tially shorten the curing time down to
minutes. Exactly how much time is
  required depends on the grade, on the
Metering nozzle
heat capacity of the substrate(s) and
on the heat transfer rate. Suitable heat
sources include heated metal molds,
circulating air ovens and IR tunnels.

46
5.5
POST-TREATMENT
Post-treatment usually means either Volatile byproducts are completely The Right Way to Post-Cure
ageing at room temperature for several removed from freshly cured vulcani- 1. Fresh-air supply
days, or exposure to high temperature zates by ageing them for several days Post-curing must be done in a
for a defined time (post-curing). This at room temperature (rule of thumb: circulating-air oven with fresh air
is performed not only to achieve approx. 24 hours per cm thickness supply. The volatile components
improved mechanical properties but to the nearest exposed surface) or for consist predominantly of low mole-
also to remove volatiles (e.g., byprod- several hours at a maximum of 70 °C cular siloxanes or other flammable
ucts resulting from condensation-cur- (rule of thumb: approx. 6 hours per cm volatiles (e.g., alcohol, amines, acetic
ing, or low-molecular polymer compo- thickness to the nearest exposed acid, oximes etc.), which also have
nents), which is essential in order to surface). During this ageing period, to be removed from the oven during
meet legal requirements for food-con- the vulcanizate should be stored open post-curing. To ensure reliable opera-
tact or medical applications, for exam- with as much of the surface exposed tion, fresh air must be supplied at a
ple. In such cases, the relevant FDA, as possible. rate of 100 - 120 l per minute and
BfR or E.P. 3.1.9 kg of silicone to prevent a risk of
recommendations must be followed. Addition-Curing Silicone Rubber deflagration (the explosion limits must
Since the vulcanizates of addition- be considered). Most of the volatile
Condensation-Curing curing rubber do not contain volatile components escape within the initial
Silicone Rubber byproducts, they can be used immedi- post-curing period. Good ventilation
During crosslinking, some volatile ately after heat-curing. Post-curing must be ensured during this time.
byproducts may remain entrapped is nevertheless recommended if an
in the vulcanizate, causing improvement of the elastomer’s 2. Placing the parts in the oven
following typical effects: mechanical properties, especially a The parts should be positioned with
• Reversion when the silicone rubber minimal compression set, is required. the silicone side facing the hot air flow.
is exposed to elevated temperature Large silicone items should be put
(> 90 °C) In such cases, it is advisable to carry on a perforated plate or wire mesh,
• A low level of resilience, paired with out additional heat treatment for if possible without contact to each
a compression set of up to 100% a number of hours after the silicone other and such that they are not

RTV Silicones
• Significantly reduced media rubber has set. During post-curing, deformed by their inherent weight.

Processing
resistance exposing the cured silicone to a
• The risk of plastics and metal corro- temperature similar to the future tem- 3. Post-curing time
sion (due to amines or acetic acid) perature of use is recommended, Tests should be performed to define
• Long-term weight loss and but it should not fall below 100 °C the optimum conditions for the
permanent shrinkage, even at room or exceed 200 °C. parts. The volatiles content should
temperature. be checked by measuring the weight
loss. The required post-curing time
increases with the thickness of the
silicone part. However, following the
heating-up phase, post-curing should
be conducted for not more than 8
hours, otherwise undesirable thermal
aging and/or embrittlement can occur.

47
5.6
MODIFYING SILICONE RUBBER
WACKER offers various additives For addition-curing RTV silicones, Properties of Silicone Elastomers
in order to modify properties such WACKER has developed WACKER® Usually WACKER® AK silicone fluids
as viscosity or reactivity or to adjust VISCOREGLER 64 DILUTING AGENT are intentionally added to reduce the
the elastomer’s properties. in order to minimize the impact of the original hardness of a cured rubber
diluent on the mechanical properties. for a specific purpose, for example
Viscosity This solvent-free, rheologically to obtain a very soft vulcanizate for
The rheological properties of RTV effective additive contains reactive printing pads. By increasing the quan-
silicones can be altered over a wide groups and is incorporated into the tity of silicone fluid, hardness, tensile
range using various additives. For silicone network during addition- strength and tear strength decrease,
example, viscosity can be lowered by curing. It facilitates significant lowering while elongation at break increases.
adding a low-viscous WACKER® AK of the addition-curing RTV silicone
silicone fluid. The viscosity decreases rubber formulations' viscosity, while Depending on their viscosity, the
in proportion to the amount of fluid the mechanical properties of their silicone fluids have a tendency to
added. vulcanizates remain more or less separate, since they cannot chemically
constant. link to the vulcanized silicone rubber
Important network. As a rule of thumb, the
In order to increase the viscosity of highest migration rate is observed for
WACKER® AK silicone fluids do not
flowable RTV silicone formulations, silicone fluids with a viscosity between
crosslink and therefore behave like a
a few percent by weight of pyrogenic 10,000 mm2/s and 50,000 mm2/s.
plasticizer, changing the cured silicone
silica (such as WACKER HDK® N 20) In contrast, silicone fluids with a
rubber’s mechanical properties to a
can be added. A more convenient viscosity below 200 mm²/s show a
certain extent. Adding silicone fluids in
method is to use thickening additives, very low tendency to bleed. Hence,
large quantities (over 20 %) may reduce
thereby transforming certain readily it is possible to tune the vulcanizate’s
the vulcanizates’ resistance to swelling
flowable formulations into nonsag properties not only in terms of hard-
agents (solvents, oil, lubricants), while
ones. While adding 0.3 - 0.5 % ness, but also in regard to its oil
potlife and curing time can increase as
WACKER® STABILIZER 43 confers bleeding capability, just by choosing
a result of the crosslinker dilution.
excellent non-sag properties to a silicone fluid with the “right”
However, if not more than 5 % by weight
addition-curing RTV silicones, 1 - 2 % viscosity.
is added, the influence of the silicone
of WACKER® THIXOTROPIC ADDITIVE
fluids is generally modest.
C is required for condensation-curing
RTV silicone grades. The corresponding
TDS display all relevant details.

Additives that Modify the Viscosity and Consistency of RTV Silicone Rubber
Product Increasing Lowering Softening Oil Bleeding
Viscosity Viscosity Effect Effect
WACKER® AK 35  
®
WACKER AK 1000  
WACKER® AK 20000  
® 1
WACKER VISCOREGLER 64 
WACKER HDK® N 20 
WACKER® STABILIZER 431 
WACKER® THIXOTROPIC ADDITIVE C2 

1) For addition-curing RTV silicone rubber formulations only

2) For RTV silicone rubber formulations only

48
Curing Properties WACKER® Catalyst EP WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88
The vulcanization characteristics of Adding WACKER® Catalyst EP to WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88 is a potlife
condensation-curing RTV silicone addition-curing silicone rubber formu- extender that diminishes the reactivity
rubber grades cannot be modified lations increases their curing speed, of addition-curing silicone rubber
by additives. In order to speed up i. e., potlife and curing time decrease. formulations. Consequently, potlife and
or slow down the curing process, the As a positive side-effect, the risk of curing time increase. In most cases,
curing conditions (RTV-1: level of rela- inhibition is reduced at the same time. adding up to 0.5 wt. % of WACKER®
tive air humidity; RTV-2: temperature), In many cases, adding up to 0.25 wt. Inhibitor PT 88 (based on the total
the mixing ratio (RTV-2) or the T-series % of WACKER® Catalyst EP (based on weight of the silicone rubber mixture)
curing catalyst (component B of RTV- the total weight of the silicone rubber is sufficient to significantly reduce cur-
2) need to be changed. mixture) is sufficient to significantly in- ing speed. We strongly discourage
The potlife and vulcanization time of crease curing speed and the formula- exceeding the upper limit of 1 wt. %,
addition-curing RTV silicone rubber tion’s robustness towards inhibition. because large quantities of WACKER®
formulations can be varied within Inhibitor PT 88 result in very long pot

RTV Silicones
lives and might delay the curing of the

Processing
broad limits by adding WACKER® In-
hibitor PT 88 or additional WACKER® Please Note modified RTV-2 silicone compound
Catalyst EP. The corresponding TDS WACKER® Catalyst EP should be added at room-temperature for days. Where
display all relevant details including either to the component containing the strongly retarded curing occurs, an
graphs. platinum catalyst, or – alternatively – to elevated temperature is necessary to
the catalysed mixture made from com- ensure complete vulcanization.
ponent A and component B. Transparent
compounds may discolor yellow or slight-
ly brownish upon adding WACKER® Cat- Please Note
alyst EP, depending on the quantity used. WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88 should be
added either to the component contain-
ing the crosslinker, or – alternatively – to
the catalysed mixture made from com-
ponent A and component B. WACKER®
Inhibitor PT 88 must not be added to the
component containing the platinum cata-
lyst, because otherwise the compound
will turn brownish.

49
 Examples of Use
The graphs shown below illustrate the
usage of WACKER® Catalyst EP or
­WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88 on the basis
of selected addition-curing RTV-2
silicones. The data given is only in-
tended as a guide and should not be
used for preparing specifications.

% WACKER® Catalyst EP % WACKER® Catalyst EP % WACKER® Catalyst EP

in WACKER SilGel® 612 in ELASTOSIL® RT 607 in ELASTOSIL® RT 622

Potlife [min]

Curing time [h]

Curing time [h]
Potlife [min]

Potlife [min]

Curing time [h]

200 10 100 10 100 10
180

160 8 80 8 80 8
140

120 6 60 6 60 6
100

80 4 40 4 40 4
60

40 2 20 2 20 2
20

0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

 Curing time  Potlife  Curing time  Potlife  Curing time  Potlife

% WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88 % WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88 % WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88

in WACKER SilGel® 612 in ELASTOSIL® RT 607 in ELASTOSIL® RT 622
Potlife [h]

Curing time [h]

Potlife [h]

Curing time [h]

Potlife [h]

Curing time [h]

50 150 50 150 100 100

40 120 40 120 80 80

30 90 30 90 60 60

20 60 20 60 40 40

10 30 10 30 20 20

0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1.0 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0 1.0 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

 Curing time  Potlife  Curing time  Potlife  Curing time  Potlife

50
Coloring and Heat Stability Advantages at a glance Please Note
Our pigment pastes don’t just look • A modular color scheme composed RTV-1 silicone rubber is sensitive to
good. They offer outstanding perfor- of 24 basic colors, which provides moisture. All modification must be done
mance, too. Available in many different access to some 80% of the color under strict exclusion of humidity, which
colors, ELASTOSIL® Color Pastes FL space just by mixing. requires special mixing equipment and
provide hues that are resistant to light, • Highly compatible and easy to mix skilled personnel. For the same reason,
UV and hot air. And as the color pastes with WACKER’s RTV silicone rubber ELASTOSIL® Color Pastes FL should not
can be mixed together in any ratio, • No adverse effects on the silicone be mixed with the curing agent (compo-
almost any desired color can be ob- rubber processing nent B) of condensation-curing RTV-2 sil-
tained. • High color retention, even when icone rubber, but always with the rubber
exposed to heat, light and weathering base (component A).
­ELASTOSIL® Color Pastes FL are • Most of our color pastes comply with
ready-to-mix preparations comprising BfR and/or FDA regulations regarding
very finely powdered pigments and food contact.
a silicone polymer. For maximum com- Furthermore, ELASTOSIL® Color Paste
patibility, the pigments are prepared Processing FL should be homogenized by stirring
from similar silicone polymers to those The color of RTV silicones can be before use.

RTV Silicones
Processing
used in RTV silicone rubbers. modified by adding up to 2 % by
weight of one or several ELASTOSIL® In order to obtain a homogeneous
ELASTOSIL® Color Paste FL grades Color Paste FL grades. They are most mixture, it is mandatory to thoroughly
are easy to process and allow the effective for transparent, translucent mix ELASTOSIL® Color Paste FL with
cured RTV silicone elastomer to re- or white base compounds. the RTV silicone rubber until the com-
tain its color for a long time, even un- pound mix is totally streak free and
der adverse conditions. Besides their Standard mixing devices can be used uniform in color. If the viscosity of the
intensive color, with specific grades, for homogenization with the silicone respective components differs greatly,
such as ELASTOSIL® Color Paste FL rubber. However, manual mixing is the beaker wall must be scraped with
Ivory RAL 1014, ELASTOSIL® Color recommended for flowable RTV a spatula at short intervals. This also
Paste FL Red Iron Oxide RAL 3013, silicone grades or small material applies when a mechanical stirrer is
or ELASTOSIL® Color Paste FL Deep quantities. Also, the risk of entrapping used for mixing. Otherwise, the less
Black RAL 9005, the heat stability of air has to be taken into account for viscous component tends to accumu-
the RTV silicones significantly exceeds non-sag silicone grades. For economi- late on the wall of the beaker during
the 200 °C limit. cal, large-scale processing, the use mixing, resulting in an unevenly mixed
of automatic metering equipment, compound.
which includes static or dynamic
mixers, is appropriate.

51
5.7
STORAGE
If stored in the original closed contain- Special Requirements for This type of contamination may be
ers at 5 °C to 30 °C, ELASTOSIL®, Condensation-Curing Grades caused just by storing open drums
SEMICOSIL®, LUMISIL®, SILPURAN®, (RTV-1, RTV-2 Silicones) of A and B component next to each
POWERSIL®, WACKER SilGel® and As mentioned above, RTV-1 silicone other. As a result, the uncured material
CENUSIL® silicone rubber formulations rubber formulations start curing in may form cured particles, or hydrogen
have a shelf life of 3 to 24 months, the presence of moisture. In a similar might be released. Consequently, the
from the delivery date, depending on manner, WACKER® T-series cata- drums must be tightly sealed after use.
the grade. lysts of condensation-curing RTV-2
silicones react with air humidity and
Storage-Induced Increase form siliceous compounds. Conden-
General Information on Storing
in Viscosity sation-curing RTV-2 silicone rubber ELASTOSIL® RTV Silicone Rubber
For some RTV silicone rubber, storage formulations require small amounts of
may cause an increase in viscosity. moisture (present in the rubber base), • Store in closed containers in a dry
This is due to a particular polymer/filler which may escape from the packag- place at 5 – 30 °C
orientation that can be reversed at any ing when stored open or with a loose • Higher average temperatures may
time by shearing. Hence, the viscosity lid for a long time. It is important that shorten the shelf life
is automatically reduced when the only the original, sealed containers are • Do not expose to direct sunlight
rubber is processed with automatic used to store condensation-curing sili- • When opening the container, make
dispensing machines, for instance. cone rubber formulations and that the sure that no dirt falls onto the surface
Mixing or stirring the respective com- packaging is tightly closed for storage of the rubber
pound prior to use also helps to re- once opened.
store the original viscosity level. Safety Information:
Therefore, such RTV silicone rubber Special Requirements for Please consult our safety data sheets if
formulations can be processed in the Addition-Curing Grades you require additional safety information.
normal way within the given shelf life. Even tiny amounts of the platinum
catalyst are sufficient to start a reac-
tion on contact with the component
containing the crosslinking agent.

52
5.8
TROUBLE SHOOTING
Vulcanization Problems of Important for RTV-1 Silicone Rubber • Various natural and synthetic oils,
Condensation-Curing Silicones greases, waxes and resins, as
If the level of relative humidity falls below
In general, condensation-curing well as substances containing
30 %, the vulcanizate’s surface may
silicones are not sensitive to inhibition. such materials, for example, many
remain tacky. At a relative humidity of
Most of their curing problems originate release agents and almost all
5 % or below, curing may even stop
from inappropriate curing conditions types of plasticine.
completely. The humidity must be raised
such as low levels of relative humidity
by means of evaporators, atomizers, or
(RTV-1), mismatches in mixing ratio The inhibiting compounds may be
a climate chamber must be used for
(RTV-2) or using excessive heat present either on the substrate, or
curing. Humidity can be easily monitored
for curing. Unfavorable assembly in the mixing and dosing equipment.
using a hygrometer. Adding water to the
configurations can impede the access Further sources of inhibiting com-
silicone rubber is unsuitable.
of air moisture or the release of the pounds can be post-curing ovens,
condensation reaction’s byproducts drying cabinets used for curing
and result in improper curing. Vulcanization Problems of Addition- organic rubber, or casting resins.
Curing Silicones (Inhibition)
Retarded vulcanization of In contrast to condensation-curing It is strongly recommended to carry
condensation-curing RTV-2 silicone out preliminary trials in order to

RTV Silicones
silicones, the vulcanization of addition-

Processing
rubber may also occur when the level curing silicone rubber may be determine whether inhibiting com-
of water vapor, which is necessary for substantially impaired by a number pounds are present. Methods for
a proper curing and which therefore of substances or materials. Such removing inhibiting compounds from
is part of the base compound (part curing inhibition is usually indicated surfaces are identical to those
A), has dropped below a critical level, by a permanent surface tackiness, described for cleaning and preparing
e.g., after storing the packaging open the presence of liquid rubber at the substrates (see above).
or with a loose lid. In such cases, the interface to the substrate, or
the original curing properties can significantly delayed curing.
be restored easily by adding a small
quantity of water (1-2 grams per Typical inhibitors are:
kilogram of base compound) to the • Sulfur compounds such as sulfides,
base compound (part A) and stirring sulfones and sulfur-containing sub-
up thoroughly. The mixture is stored stances such as natural or certain
in a tightly closed drum for at least synthetic rubbers (e.g., EPDM).
24 hours at room temperature. During • Amines and amine containing
this time, the water evaporates and substances such as polyurethanes
the rubber becomes saturated with or amine-cured epoxy resins.
sufficient moisture for proper curing. • Organo-tin compounds and sub-
The compound can then be used. stances that contain them, e.g.,
vulcanizates and catalysts of
condensation-curing RTV-2 silicone
rubber formulations.

53
Problems Linked to Mixing Ratio Problems Linked to Temperature applies both to condensation- and
It is absolutely essential to accurately When accelerating the vulcanization addition-curing RTV. Furthermore,
meter two-component RTV silicones of condensation-curing silicones, the it is important to keep in mind that
in the recommended mixing ratio. Only temperature should not exceed 70 °C. condensation-curing RTVs are
a firm ratio of A:B guarantees a stable Otherwise, the result will be a limp, generally prone to chemical shrinkage,
dispensing process and reproducible putty and sticky vulcanizate. Further irrespective of the curing temperature.
results. Metering is possible either by defects such as bubble formation, Therefore, if dimensional accuracy
weight or by volume. blistering or uneven surfaces (orange is required, either curing has to be
peel, pinholes) may arise. Addition- carried out at the temperature at
Important curing silicones can be heat cured which the rubber will subsequently be
In general, the TDS state the mixing ratio (up to 250 °C). It is important to keep employed or the dimensional change
in parts by weight. If mixing by volume in mind that increasing temperature has to be calculated, or determined
is requested, the mixing ratio by volume will cause a corresponding decrease experimentally, and taken into account
must be calculated using the density of in the potlife. To prevent premature accordingly.
the respective component. vulcanization during processing, it is
advisable to control the temperature It is also important to calculate space
Depending on the type of RTV-2 both of the production place and the for thermal expansion of the silicone
silicone, improper mixing ratio may metering and mixing device. during heat cure, especially when
cause one or several of the following vulcanizing takes place in a closed
effects: If curing is accelerated by heat, the system. Since silicone elastomers
Situation 1 volume of curing rubber increases can only be compressed by applying
Excess amount of the component due to thermal expansion. During extremely high pressure, thermal
containing the crosslinker cool-down of the cured rubber to expansion of the rubber without an
• Reduced potlife room temperature, shrinkage will “escape” provision can also cause very
• Increased hardness and tensile occur. This can result in a distortion high pressure with a highly destructive
strength of the vulcanizate’s geometry and effect.
• Reduced maximum elongation
and tear resistance
• Post-curing effects at room Change in Volume During Curing
temperature (embrittlement) Room temperature e.g., +150 °C Room temperature
Situation 2
Insufficient amount of the component
containing the crosslinker
• Delayed or incomplete crosslinking
• Soft, limp vulcanizates
• Low mechanical strength of the
vulcanizates
• Increased susceptibility to swelling
• Poor adhesion.

Uncured While curing Cured

54
Trouble Shooting
Issue Possible Root Cause
All RTV Silicones • Delayed curing • Processing temperature too low
• Bubbles, blisters and voids • Insufficient level of de-aeration
RTV-1 Silicones • Delayed curing • Low level of air humidity
• Inappropriate assembly configuration
• Tacky surface • Low level of air humidity
• Use of heat while curing
• Bubbles, blisters and voids • Use of heat while curing
• White spots on the surface • Contact to water while curing
RTV-2 Silicones, • Premature curing • Incorrect mixing ratio
Condensation Curing • Delayed curing • Incorrect mixing ratio
• Lack of moisture in component A
• Limp and sticky vulcanizate • Limited/no possibility for
byproducts to escape
• Incorrect mixing ratio
• Excessive heat while curing
• Lack of moisture in component A

RTV Silicones
• Bubbles, blisters and voids • Excessive heat while curing

Processing
• Inhomogeneous vulcanizate • Improper mixing
RTV-2 Silicones, • Delayed curing • Incorrect mixing ratio
Addition Curing • Inhibition
• Improper vulcanizate properties • Incorrect mixing ratio
• Inhibition
• Premature curing • Incorrect mixing ratio
• Sticky vulcanizate • Inhibition
• Uncured material on substrate interface • Surface inhibition
• Bubbles, blisters and voids • Humid substrate
• Contamination with water
• Inhomogeneous vulcanizate • Improper mixing
One-Component • Delayed curing • Curing temperature too low
Heat-Curing Silicones • Inhibition
• Sticky vulcanizate • Curing temperature too low
• Curing time too short
• Inhibition
• Uncured material on substrate interface • Surface inhibition
• Bubbles, blisters and voids • Excessive heat while curing
• Humid substrate
• Contamination with water
UV-Curing Silicones • Delayed curing • Insufficient irradiation level
• Inhibition
• Limp and sticky vulcanizate • Insufficient irradiation level
• Inhibition
• Uncured material on substrate interface • Surface inhibition
• Bubbles, blisters and voids • Humid substrate
• Contamination with water
• Inhomogeneous vulcanizate • Improper mixing

55
56
SECTION 6:
SPECTRUM OF TECHNICAL
APPLICATIONS
Contents
Sealant adhesives, silicone gaskets, potting, encapsulation,
coating and casting.

6.1 Sealant Adhesives 58

6.2 Silicone Gaskets 60

– Preformed gaskets
– Cured-in-place gaskets (CIPG)
– Foam gaskets
– Formed-in-place gaskets (FIPG)
– Applying RTV silicones for FIPG and CIPG

6.3 Potting and Encapsulation 65

6.4 Coating and Casting 66

Coating applications 66
Casting applications 68
WACKER brands for coating and casting 69

Technical Applications
Spectrum of

57
6.1
SEALANT ADHESIVES

Traditional mechanical joining Handling

technologies, such as screwing, WACKER silicone sealant adhesives
soldering, seaming, welding, or can be applied easily and economically
riveting, are progressively being either manually or with automated
superseded by modern adhesive dispensing equipment. Compared to
bonding methods, such as sealant mechanical joining methods, sealant
adhesives. The reasons are obvious: adhesives significantly reduce not
elastic bonding with silicone sealant only the quantity of parts (e.g., screws,
adhesives has decisive advantages rivets, etc.), but also the number of
in terms of handling, functionality, process steps. Hence, silicone seal-
durability and cost efficiency. ant adhesives help to reduce process
cycle time.

58
Functionality Cost Effectiveness
• Bonding efficiency Using silicone sealant adhesives
A sealant adhesive acts as glue saves costs at different levels of
and sealant at the same time. the manufacturing process, for
The need for additional mechanical instance by:
safeguarding measures often • A low level of warehousing due
becomes obsolete. to the small number of parts
• High joint reliability (e.g., screws, rivets, etc.) to be
Thanks to the good electrical handled for the joint
insulating properties of silicones, • Reduced costs for labor due to fully
different metals can be bonded automated adhesive application
without the risk of galvanic • Wide machining tolerances for the
corrosion. parts to be bonded.
• Uniform stress distribution
Sealant adhesives distribute
mechanical strain over the entire
bonding area and thus minimize
the risk of localized excessive
stress.
• Perfect stress relaxation
Thanks to their low Young’s
modulus, silicone sealant adhesives
effectively compensate thermo-

Technical Applications
mechanical loads resulting from
substrates with a different coefficient
of thermal expansion.
Spectrum of

• Versatile applicability
Silicone sealant adhesives have
a high ability to bond dissimilar
materials.

59
6.2
SILICONE GASKETS
Since gaskets operate at the inter- The respective silicone seals are Preformed Gaskets
face between interior and exterior, either manufactured in a separate Preformed gaskets (O-rings, surface
hot and cold, or wet and dry, they injection-molding process, or seals, and profile gaskets) are typically
are frequently exposed to extreme subsequently inserted into the manufactured from liquid silicone rub-
conditions. These severe physical multi-component assembly, or ber (LSR) or high consistency rubber
challenges are met perfectly by they are “cured in place”. Curing (HCR) in a separate process. There
­­WACKER silicone gaskets, which can also take place before the is no adhesion between the inserted
perform with absolute reliability. components have been assembled. gasket and the joint parts. Sealing is
achieved solely by compression, mak-
ing disassembly possible at any time.

Sealing Technology
Preformed Gasket Cured-In-Place Gasket Formed-In-Place Gasket
(CIPG) (FIPG)

Silicone type LSR, HTV RTV-1, RTV-2 RTV-1, RTV-2

Application method Insert Dispensing Dispensing
Time of assembly After curing After curing Before curing
Adhesion to substrates None Only to one part To both parts
Disassembly Possible Possible Impossible
Mode of sealing Compression Compression Adhesive bonding
Products ELASTOSIL® LR ELASTOSIL® E ELASTOSIL® E
ELASTOSIL® R ELASTOSIL® A ELASTOSIL® A
ELASTOSIL® N ELASTOSIL® N
ELASTOSIL® LR ELASTOSIL® LR
ELASTOSIL® RT ELASTOSIL® RT
ELASTOSIL® SC ELASTOSIL® Solar
ELASTOSIL® Solar SEMICOSIL®
SEMICOSIL®

60
Cured-In-Place Gaskets (CIPG) silicones with excellent compression width (W) to height (H) typically ranges
CIPG (also known as “dry assem- set properties. The parts sealed via from 1:0.6 to 1:0.8. In order to
bly”) is a typical sealing technology for CIPG can be disassembled at any prevent a CIP gasket from rolling off
non-slump RTV silicones. The silicone time. In general, tightness of a CIP under load and to stabilize the silicone
gasket is applied and adheres only to gasket is assured on compression of bead’s position, at least one of the
one of the substrates and thus stays 25 % to a maximum of 35 %. Limiting two substrates should be equipped
in place without being secured in any compression by suitable constructive with a groove. Preparatory tooling of
way. The parts to be sealed are as- measures, for example, by applying the groove is not required, however a
sembled after the RTV silicone rubber spacers or by proper groove design is clean and oil-free surface is necessary
has cured. The sealing effect towards recommended. In principle, the cross for successful sealing.
the second joint member is achieved section of a silicone bead is not per-
by compression, which calls for fectly round-shaped, as the ratio of

Maximum Compression of a CIP Gasket

C Hu Uncompressed
Hu height of bead
Hc
Hc Compressed
height of bead

C Compression

Compression 25 – 35%

Cross-Section and Height-to-Width Ratio of a Silicone Bead As silicones are not compressible,
the groove must provide sufficient
additional space for the silicone
to deform under compression.
When in contact with chemicals
and fluids, an additional volume
H H
increase by swelling needs to be
taken into account. The width of
the groove should therefore be
W
W about the 1.3 to 1.4-fold the silicone
bead’s height. It is strongly recom-

Technical Applications
W/H = 1:0.6 – 1:0.8
mended not to fill the entire groove
with silicone. Spectrum of

When assembling parts, it is

Calculation of Minimum Width of the Groove
important to evenly distribute the
compression force. Furthermore,
distortion of the assembly parts
must be avoided in order to keep
the assembly tight. For this reason,
H
~ 0,75 x H the parts have to be properly
dimensioned and the contact force
~ 1,3 x W must be calculated accordingly.
Fixing bolts or screws must be
placed a suitable distance from
Compression 25 – 35%
each other in order to allow for even
distribution of the compression force.

61
Foam Gaskets The following conditions should
RTV-2 silicone foam gaskets are be observed:
similar to CIP gaskets but they permit • Silicone foam gaskets require
higher component tolerances and a compression level of about
require less compression force. They 30 % to 50 %.
are particularly suitable for applications • The compression of the bead must
where either pressure can’t be applied be controlled by suitable measures,
evenly (e.g., due to constructional such as spacers or ridges, in order
constraints) or the assembly parts to maintain a constant compression
can’t withstand high compression level in the long term.
force. • Preferably one of the substrates
should be equipped with a groove.
• In order to avoid permanent defor-
mation, silicone foam beads must
completely cure before they are
compressed.
• Post-curing can help to improve the
silicone foam gasket’s resilience.

Foam Gasket Designs

During the curing process, RTV-2 Calculation of Foam Gaskets

silicone foam rubber expands to
2 to 4-fold of its initial volume. When
the space for this expansion process is W
limited, e.g., in deep slots or cavities, Hr
significant pressure is created on the
cavity’s walls. As a result, deformation
of the assembly parts can occur, and H Hf
the foam density is higher than
it would be in open conditions (no
cavity). Therefore, when foaming
RTV-2 silicone rubber in cavities, the
ratio of width (W) to height (H) should
range from 1:1 to 1:2. For all other W : H = 1:1 to 1:2 Hr Height of rise
configurations, the recommendations Hf Height of fill
described for CIPG apply.

62
Formed-In-Place Gaskets (FIPG) Compared to inserted gaskets, However, the sealing effect is improved
In FIPG (also known as “wet assem- FIPG do not require the joint parts to when the assembly parts are kept at a
bly”), the parts to be sealed are as- have such high dimensional accuracy. distance H of 0.1 to 1.5 mm in order to
sembled before the non-slump RTV In addition, the cured gasket mate- compensate relative movements (e.g.,
silicone rubber cures. Therefore, the rial stays firmly in place without fixing. vibration, different thermal expansion
gasket material adheres to both sides Both permit simpler parts design and coefficient, shear load, etc.). This can
after curing, which enhances the re- reduce development costs. be achieved by either spacers, external
liability of the seal, but excludes the fixtures, or by adding glass beads of
possibility of posterior disassembly. Parts sealed by FIPG are often specific size to the silicone. Embossing
compressed up to a direct metal-to- a groove is also a suitable method.

Technical Applications
metal contact (also called zero gap). Depending on the substrate design
and the joining distance, silicone
beads of 1.5 - 3.0 mm usually result Spectrum of

FIP Gasket Designs in sufficiently wide FIP gaskets. For an

optimum sealing result, the silicone
should have a width (W) of 15 - 20 mm
after assembling the parts, and must
not fall below 6 - 8 mm to ensure
tightness.

Since adhesion is crucial for FIPG,

the surfaces must be clean and free
H of grease. Before applying the silicone,
contaminations have to be removed.
In many cases, unprocessed surfaces
provide better conditions for FIPG.
W Rough surfaces and gaps of up to
3 mm (depending on the silicone grade
used) can be sealed.

63
Using RTV Silicones as FIPG Unfavorable Groove Designs
and CIPG
Proper component design, in particular
of the grooves and/or fixation points,
is decisive for the tightness of FIP and
CIP gaskets. For instance, in order to
reduce the risk of air entrapment, the
groove should not have any undercuts,
and the corners should be rounded.
The presence of ridges or sharp
edges, which may corrupt the silicone
bead, must also be avoided.
Risk of air entrapment
To ensure a proper application pro-
cess, the nozzle design, the distance
between nozzle and substrate, the Application Path at Edges
extrusion speed, and the moving
speed of the nozzle must be optimized
in pre-trials. Generally, the dimension
of the groove determines the type of
the dispensing unit and the size of
the dispensing nozzle.

Optimal application requires position-

ing the nozzle close to the substrate,
i.e., at a distance of just a few mm
from the bottom of the groove. The
silicone bead should be applied in the
middle of the groove, which must not
run at sharp angles but in curves.
Nozzle path Formation of undesired
bubbles possible
When substrates are additionally fixed
with bolts or screws, it is important
to keep a specific distance between
Applicaton Path for Substrates Fixed with Bolts or Screws
silicone bead and the bolt holes.
The distance is determined by the
flexibility of the substrate, the hardness
and compressibility of the silicone,
and the compression force applied.

64
6.3
POTTING AND ENCAPSULATION

Reliable operation and the lifetime WACKER offers a wide range of Material Property Options
of electronic devices in different one- and two-component products • Low viscosity or shear diluting
application fields depend on efficient for potting and encapsulation applica- • Variable processing and curing times

Technical Applications
protection from the environment. tions. Silicone gels offer minimum • Soft to hard
Potting and encapsulation of electronic thermal stress on sensitive parts and • Transparent to opaque
control units, sensors, printed circuit ensure that the device will work prop- • High flame resistance
Spectrum of

boards, semiconductor devices or erly even when exposed to extreme • High thermal conductivity
microchips is accomplished by using temperature fluctuations or strong • Fuel resistance and NOx resistance
silicone encapsulants. With its unique vibrations. For sensor applications, e.g., fluoro silicones
manufacturing process for the silicone gels characterized by particularly low • Remarkable low-temperature
raw material polydimethylsiloxane, volatility and low bleed are becoming flexibility (down to -100 °C)
WACKER is excellently positioned for increasingly important. Extra-soft gels • High thermal shock resistance
this market. are available for sensitive electronic • Low shrinkage
devices such as bonded ICs (Inte- • Good adhesion to polymer housings
grated Circuit). • Low outgassing
• Low uncured-silicone bleed
• Pronounced damping property
• Specified low ion content

65
6.4
COATING AND CASTING
COATING APPLICATIONS

Low viscous RTV silicones can be The above-mentioned methods Since silicones can absorb air, airless
applied with all common coating require specific RTV silicone properties spraying systems – as used for high-
methods, such as spray coating, in terms of rheology, potlife and curing quality paintwork – are mandatory
knife coating, dip coating, brush characteristics to achieve uniform for spray coating. This avoids unsatis-
coating or transfer roller coating. coating of the protective lacquer. For factory results such as blistering and
The following section gives an this purpose, WACKER offers custom- orange peel. The surfaces to be
overview of the most relevant ized silicones, either solvent based or coated should be thoroughly cleaned
industrial coating techniques. solvent-free. Dedicated SEMICOSIL® beforehand to ensure good adhesion
and ELASTOSIL® silicone rubber to the substrate.
Conformal Coating grades meet challenging requirements
Thin coatings or protective lacquers in terms of productivity, quality, reliabil- Spray coating can be used for:
for PCBs (Printed Circuit Board) ity and cost-efficiency. • Low viscous, flowable RTV silicones
or hybrid devices are known as or
“conformal coatings”. They provide Spray Coating • Solvent-based RTV silicone
protection against external influences Spray coating is particularly suitable emulsions or
such as dust, light, aggressive for parts with complex geometry or • Shear thinning, self-levelling
media, temperature fluctuations for large surfaces. In sectors such as RTV silicones
and mechanical stress. They also the electrical industry or the food in-
enhance the dielectric strength of dustry, spraying silicones is a common Coatings based on RTV-1 start
highly complex electronic modules. process to equip insulators, electrical vulcanizing during spraying due to
In mass production, conformal coils, baking trays, baking molds, or contact with air moisture. RTV-2
coatings are typically applied by other devices with a protective silicone silicone coatings are usually cured by
spraying or dispensing. Selective layer. Typical objectives are improving heating, e.g., in an oven or a heating
parts of a PCB can even be coated hydrophobicity, protection against tunnel, after the spraying process.
separately (“partial cover by selective moisture and atmospheric pollutants
coating”). and better release.

66
Knife Coating or Roller Coating Knife Coating and Roller Coating
Knife coating and roller coating are
preferred for roll-to-roll processes
involving flexible substrates. Both Silicone reservoir
Coating knife
processes are ideal for applying an Silicone
RTV silicone on textile, plastic film, coating
or non-woven fabrics. For these
coating methods, either shear thinning
grades or those with medium to high Silicone
coating
viscosity are required.

With knife coating, the silicone is

applied in front of a coating knife
or a doctor blade. The shear force
applied by the blade lowers the
Substrate Substrate
silicone's viscosity. As a result, the
silicone is evenly distributed and its
spreadability on the substrate is
ensured, which facilitates permeation
into the fabric, if applicable. The
distance between the blade and the WACKER's dedicated brand for the Dip Coating
substrate determines the coating health- and wound-care market is In this process, the part to be coated
thickness – the greater the distance, SILPURAN®. For knife and roller coat- is dipped into uncured RTV silicone.
the higher the thickness. To achieve ing applications, SILPURAN® RTV After removing the part from the coat-
a very thin coating (approx. 10 μm) grades are typically used in ing bath, excess silicone must drip
the blade is pressed directly onto the • Traditional wound care off. Then the vulcanization process
substrate. The RTV silicone’s rheology • Advanced wound care can start. Better coating results are
is key to obtaining excellent results • Scar treatment achieved by rotating the part during
with knife coating. • Ostomy care the curing process to prevent coat-
• Medical tapes ing sags. Depending on the silicone
Roller coating is comparable to knife

Technical Applications
type, the coated material is vulcanized
coating in terms of process. The differ- SILPURAN® products fulfill the most by exposure to air (RTV-1) or by expo-
ence is that a transfer roller is used to rigorous medical demands: They sure to heat (RTV-2 or one-component
apply the silicone instead of a knife.
Spectrum of

are free of organic plasticizers, can heat curing grades). Typically, silicones
be sterilized and carry a number of used for dip coating are either low
Examples of knife or roller coating certificates. Selected tests according viscous or solvent-based.
applications are: to ISO 10993 and USP Class VI
• Fabrics coatings e.g., for wound certification ensure biocompatibility Dip coating is a cost-efficient method
dressings, airbags, or baking mats and the highest safety levels for both adapted for small series or prototyp-
• Release liner on plastic films or paper users and processors. Cleanroom ing. It is rarely used for mass production
• Silicone laminated plastic films dispensing and packaging in accor- as the dip process requires a silicone
• Silicone-based skin adhesives dance with WACKER Clean Operations with a long pot life, whereas mass
standards ensure consistently high production usually means fast curing
product quality. silicones with a short pot life. Dip
coating is used, for example, to coat
chokes, the coil head of electrical
machines, or electrical coils of
transformers.

67
6.4
COATING AND CASTING
CASTING APPLICATIONS
Casting is a process in which uncured In this case, the silicone rubber is WACKER silicones for casting
material is poured into a silicone mold infused into a mold as a casting com- applications offer valuable and
where it crosslinks. Flowable RTV-2 pound in order to obtain a shaped unique advantages with optimal
silicones are often processed by cast- elastomer part. Casting is usually results:
ing, typically for manufacturing used for complex shapes, small-scale • Excellent processability and
• Printing pads production or where investment is degassing properties
• Embossing rollers limited. • Low viscosity to allow for a high level
• Printer rollers of precision in detail reproduction
• Prosthetic and orthopedic items • High flowability that permits fast
• Ostomy care items. mold filling, no matter how intricate
the mold is
• Fast curing to enable short
Reusable Silicone Elastomer Molds Produced by Casting
demolding times
• High level of tear resistance and
release for easy and safe demolding
• Long-term consistency and fatigue
resistance for mechanically
stressed silicone items
• Excellent resistance to chemicals,
such as printing inks, wax, plaster,
casting resins or concrete.
Pattern production Mold production Casting Checkout

RTV silicone rubber is used to manufacture reusable molds, e.g., for molding applications,
replica production or rapid prototyping.

Silicone Printer Roller Produced by a Casting Process

The open mold (1) has to be closed (2). Silicone (yellow) is introduced from the bottom so that air (white) can escape from the mold (3) and is not
entrapped. After the mold is filled completely (4), the curing process can start. As soon as the material is cured, the mold can be (5) removed.

68
6.4
COATING AND CASTING
WACKER BRANDS
WACKER brands for reproduction WACKER brands for medical, pro-
and printing applications sthetic and orthopedic applications

ELASTOSIL® M SILPURAN®
Molds for rapid prototyping, industrial WACKER's dedicated products not
mass production, concrete moldings, only cover knife-coating and roller-
restoration and reproduction, decora- coating applications, but also casting
tive arts, or the composites industry applications for the medical industry:
require the highest level of precision, SILPURAN® RTV grades are used, for
accuracy and reusability. ELASTOSIL® instance, for ostomy care. Here too,
M-series casting silicones have long ­SILPURAN® products fulfill the most
been recognized as the ideal solution rigorous medical demands.
for making all types of silicone rubber
molds. Their high elasticity, excellent ELASTOSIL® P
release properties and optimal dura- WACKER silicones are used in many
bility make ELASTOSIL® M casting prosthetic applications such as the
grades indispensable for both manufacture of:
industrial and artisan mold makers. • Functional prostheses for fingers,
hands and partial-foot prostheses
ELASTOSIL® RT • Orthoses
In order to print on different surfaces • Epitheses
such as paper, porcelain, plastics, or • External breast prostheses
other uneven surfaces, the printing • Liners
device (printing pad or printer roller) • Face masks tailored to
must have constant mechanical pro- fit the wearer perfectly.
perties and outstanding ink-transfer. ELASTOSIL® P-series silicones are
­ELASTOSIL® RT-series casting sili- ready-to-use and offer customized
cones provide precisely these qualities, solutions for the prosthetic industry.
making them essential for any printing
application. They produce superior
print results, even for large print runs.

Technical Applications
ELASTOSIL® C
In the composite industry, reusable
Spectrum of

vacuum bags are manufactured with

chemically resistant ELASTOSIL® C
silicones. Their fast-curing property
permits short production cycles, thus
ensuring cost-effective and efficient
production of fiber-composite items.

69
70
SECTION 7:
SERVICE
Contents
Excellent technologies need best-in-class services.
Our WACKER ACADEMY, technical centers and e-business
offer you extraordinary expertise and support.

7.1 Technical Service and Expertise 72

7.2 WACKER Infoline & E-Business 73

7.3 Regulatory Support 74

7.4 
WACKER ACADEMY 75

Service

71
7.1
TECHNICAL SERVICE AND EXPERTISE
Our application chemists and
engineers work closely with our
customers, dealing with specific
questions from the field. We
will support you by finding the
optimum product for your specific
requirements and by assisting
your product development, from
material selection to industrial
production – worldwide. Our
laboratories deal with key issues
from specific industrial sectors
and have extensive expertise in
various application fields.

WACKER SILICONES stands for

360°-silicone expertise and over
50 years of market experience:
• Deep understanding of silicones
and silicone processing
• Local technical centers world-
Thanks to our RTV Clean Operations Some of our Laboratory Services
wide with experienced laboratory
plant, WACKER is able to produce • Product adaptation/development
technicians
according to selected GMP criteria and • Range of lab tests:
• Technical consultancy for product
provide clean-room packing classified – Mechanical properties
selection
according to EN ISO 14644-1 Class 8 – Adhesion
• Adjusting standard formulations and
for high-end health care and electron- – Chemical resistance
customizing to specific requirements
ics applications. Furthermore, UV-cur- – Thermal, UV and climate ageing
• State-of-the-art analytical equipment
ing silicone rubber can be processed – Electrical properties.
to perform tests according to
under controlled lighting conditions. • In-house application of our RTV
international and local standards
silicone rubber formulations on
and regulations
original assembly parts by fully
• Active network of specialists and
automated metering & dispensing
cross-functional cooperation with
equipment, e.g., for testing or
other labs and departments
approval series
• Consistent product quality worldwide

72
7.2
WACKER INFOLINE & E-BUSINESS
E-Business
WACKER e-solutions simplify business
between our customers and WACKER,
and offer many possibilities: from
global searches and reporting options
in our Login4More customer portal
to fast order processing solutions
and vendor-managed inventory. We
compile a tailored service package
for you, adapted to the size of your
company, your profile and specific
wishes.

You can gain considerably

greater efficiency through:
• 24/7 availability
• Automatic order processing
• Easy order changes
• Fast processing with far fewer errors
• Maximum planning reliability
• Full transparency
Infoline Europe, Middle East & Africa,
• Paperless invoicing
Our WACKER Infoline is there to Asia, Latin America
• Automatic inventory monitoring.
provide prompt answers to any • Toll-free Number Germany:
questions you may have about our 0800-6279-800
products or services. We’ll provide • Toll-free Number International:
you with the necessary information, 00 800-6279-0800
data or facts quickly and expertly via • General Telephone Number:
e-mail or phone. We look forward to +49 89 6279-1741
hearing from you. • E-Mail info@wacker.com

NAFTA (USA, Canada and Mexico)

• Toll-free Number:
+1 888-922-5374
(+1 888-WACKER 4 U)
• E-Mail info.usa@wacker.com
Service

73
7.3
REGULATORY SUPPORT

To ensure product safety, we This includes the following topics: • Specific customer requirements
offer you regulatory support. • Food contact applications (e.g., banned-substance and
Our experts handle your enquiries (e.g., BfR, FDA) substance-avoidance lists)
on environmental, health and • Drinking water approval • Toxicology and ecotoxicology
regulatory matters. (e.g., KTW, WRAS, ACS) • Risk assessment
• Pharmaceutical and medical • Organizational assistance.
applications
(e.g., European Pharmacopeia
and U.S. Pharmacopeia USP)
• National and international
regulations and provisions
(e. g., EU directive 2002/95/
EC – RoHS, REACH)
• Specific industry requirements
(e.g., GADSL, IMDS, automotive
industry)

74
7.4
THE WACKER ACADEMY

To transfer its own expertise and This includes: All our seminars are held by experi-
market experience, WACKER has • Introductory chemistry seminars enced specialists – chiefly in-house
founded a unique institution, the • Training programs on particular experts. To make our program even
WACKER ACADEMY. Here, at a application fields more attractive and ensure it remains
number of sites worldwide, you • Introductory seminar on silicone up to date, we work closely with
can take advantage of a versatile, rubber for newcomers to the field universities and research institutes.
industry-specific seminar program. • Customized training programs and
events, specific to your needs.

You can find the current program at:

www.wacker.com/wacker-academy.
WACKER ACADEMY centers are
located in different regions, exemplify-
ing our policy of making global
expertise available right on your
Service

doorstep. As a result, we can offer

you a seminar program tailored to your
needs and your specific markets.

75
76
SECTION 8:
SILICONES A–Z
Contents
A list of frequently used technical terms is given below.

Adhesion 78
Coefficient of linear thermal expansion 78
Compression set 78
Density 78
Dielectric constant 78
Dielectric strength 78
Dissipation factor 78
Environmental compatibility 78
Fire behavior 78
Flame resistance 79
Gas permeability 79
Hardness 79
High-energy radiation 79
Heat resistance 79
Ozone resistance 79
Optical properties 79
Penetration 80
Rebound resilience 80
Release properties 80
Reversion 80
Solvent and chemical resistance 80
Shrinkage 80
Surface resistance 80
Tear propagation and notch resistance 80
Tensile strength and elongation at break 80
Temperature behavior 81
Thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity 81
Tracking resistance 81
Viscosity 81
Volume resistivity 81
Water and steam resistance 81
Weathering and UV resistance 81
Silicones A-Z

77
8.0
SILICONES A – Z
Adhesion Density Dissipation Factor Tan δ
• Self-adhesive RTV silicone rubber • Determined as per ISO 1183-1 A • Dielectric dissipation factor tan δ
is suitable for many substrates (buoyancy method). – Dissipation factor determined
• The quality of adhesion depends • Typical range for specific density as per VDE 0303.
on the nature of the materials to 0.95 – 1.50 g/cm³. – Typical values for loss angle
be bonded, the mechanical stress, • When using additional inactive tan δ ~10 –3.
and possibly a surface treatment fillers (e.g., quartz), values of over – tan δ is raised by increasing the
(primer, plasma, corona). 3 g/cm³ can be achieved, for exam- filler content/density.
• Most superior bonds are obtained ple, to improve swelling resistance or • Mechanical dissipation factor tan δ
on oxidic and siliceous surfaces. thermal conductivity. – Determined via measurement of
the silicone’s storage modulus and
Coefficient of Linear Thermal Dielectric Constant εr loss modulus.
Expansion • Dielectric constant εr determined – Typical values for gels: tan δ < 0.1;
• Coefficient of linear thermal as per DIN 53 482 or VDE 0303. typical values for silicone elastomers
expansion approx. • Typical values for silicone rubber: tan δ >1.
150∙10-6 – 300∙10-6 m/(m∙K) εr = 2.7 - 3.3 (at 25 °C and 50 Hz). – tan δ is raised by increasing the
• RTV silicone rubber expands during • This property can be increased up crosslinking density or by filler
heat curing, resulting into an to 150 by using suitable fillers. content.
“apparent” shrinkage on cooling
• The coefficient of linear thermal Dielectric Strength Environmental Compatibility
expansion depends on the filler • Dielectric strength determined as • Since silicones have the same basic
content. per IEC 60243-1. chemical structure as quartz, cured
• Typical value for RTV silicone RTV silicone rubber poses no known
Compression Set rubber > 20 kV/mm ecological or physiological risks.
• Compression set determined as (1 mm sheet, IEC 60243-1).
per ISO 815-B (ASTM D395 B-2) Fire Behavior
for storage lasting 22h/175 °C, or • The auto-ignition temperature of
22h/125 °C in cured products is about 430 °C.
the case of self-adhesive grades. • Silicone rubber burns to form a white
• Compression set describes the non-toxic ash of silicon dioxide
elastic recovery of a cured rubber, • The resultant combustion gases are
an important characteristic for usually non-corrosive.
gasket applications. • Specialty grades form a ceramic
• Typical values for RTV silicone layer in the case of fire.
rubber: down to 5 %.

78
Flame Resistance Relative Permeability of Gases at Heat Resistance
• Flame resistance determined acc. 25 °C (%) • The mechanical properties of
to ASTM D 2863 test standard by Air 100 WACKER silicone rubber are retained
determining the limiting oxygen Hydrogen 190 even at high temperature stress.
index (LOI) or acc. to Underwriters Oxygen 170 • The heat resistance is thereby clearly
Laboratory fire standard (UL 94). Nitrogen 80 superior to that of most organic
• Typical LOI values of flame retardant Carbon dioxide 1.000 elastomers (cf. ASTM Charta D2000)
grades 27 % to 35 % Ethylene 390
• Standard grades normally achieve Ozone Resistance
UL 94 HB (0.5  –  1.0 mm thickness) Hardness • Outstanding resistance of silicone
• Specialty grades with additives reach • Hardness of silicone rubber rubber to ozone
UL 94 V0 (1.0  –  4.0 mm thickness). determined in Shore 00 • Ozone resistance determined as
(ASTM D 2240 / Type 00), per DIN 53509
Gas Permeability Shore A (ISO 7619-1) or in
• Determined as per DIN 53 536 IRHD units (DIN 53 519). Optical Properties
• Very high gas permeability compared • Typical range: • The light permeability of unfilled RTV
to other elastomers, e.g., for air 30 20 Shore 00 – 80 Shore A. silicone rubber materials is almost
times higher than for natural rubber • See penetration for silicone gels 100 % in the visible range from 400
(NR) or 400 times higher than butyl to 760 nm (1 mm layer thickness).
rubber (IIR) (measured at 25 °C) High-Energy Radiation • The cut-off region of highly trans-
• The absolute value of a 50 Shore A • Outstanding resistance of silicone parent RTV silicones ranges from
grade for air at 20 °C and 80 °C is rubber (VMQ, PVMQ) to high-energy 220 – 230 nm.
570 and 1.330 cm³ ∙ mm ∙ m –2 ∙ h –1 radiation in combination with hot-air • The appearance of RTV silicone
∙ bar –1 (volume of air measured in resistance in comparison to other rubber is determined by fillers.
cm³, that penetrates a membrane of elastomers. Fumed silica as filler makes the
1 m² area per hour at a pressure • With VMQ silicone rubber grades, respective grades become
difference of 1 bar and 1 mm only high radiation doses of translucent due to light scattering.
thickness) 400 – 800 kGy lead to a reduction • The refractive index nD25 is between
• Technical advantage, e.g., for of 50 % in the elongation at break. 1.404 and 1.410 for standard RTV
contact lenses, textile coatings and • Phenyl-containing PVMQ silicone silicone rubber. High refractive index
some medical applications rubber, such as ELASTOSIL® RTV-S grades achieve values of up to 1.5
• At high temperatures, silicone has 691, has higher resistance. and higher.
similar values to organic elastomers • Properties not severely affected
by gamma and beta radiation
(25 – 75 kGy), as widely used for
sterilizing medical equipment.
• Very good resistance to micro-
waves, since silicone parts are
not microwave-active and therefore
not heated.
Silicones A-Z

* dep. on grade

79
Penetration Reversion • Silicone rubber has good resistance
• The consistency of silicone gels • Degradation of the crosslinking to aqueous solutions of weak acids,
is usually characterized by quoting network in the cured rubber as a alkalis or salts, which are commonly
the penetration. It is determined by result of chemical or thermal effects. used as cleaning solutions for
use of a standard cone under a spe- This leads to a permanent decrease lines / tubing at 70 – 80 °C in the
cific load and given in mm/10. of hardness (softening) food industry.
• The higher the penetration • In silicone rubber, at high tempera-
value, the softer the compound. tures (> 200 °C) traces of moisture Shrinkage
• Typical values for soft gels: or free hydroxyl groups in fillers • Condensation-curing RTV silicones
300-100 mm/10 cause cleavage of the Si-O bond show a volume shrinkage of up to
• Typical values for tough gels: in the polymer chain and ultimately 3 % due to the liberation of volatile
30-10 mm/10. the above-mentioned decrease in by-products.
hardness due to depolymerization • Addition-curing RTV silicones cure
Rebound Resilience • This process is inhibited by the almost shrink-free (approx. 0.1%).
• Rebound resilience determined as presence of air
per DIN 53 512 • High heat resistance therefore Surface Resistivity
• Also commonly known as “snap” requires unrestricted access of • Surface resistivity determined as
• Measured on 6 mm samples as a atmospheric oxygen, and must per VDE 0303
ratio of rebound height to the drop be taken into account in the design • Typical values for insulating silicone
height of a pendulum of gasket parts compounds: approx. 1012 – 1013 Ω.
• Typical values 30 – 70%.
• Solvent and Chemical Resistance Tear Propagation and Notch
Release Properties • The chemical resistance of WACKER Resistance
• RTV silicone rubber shows a silicone rubber generally depends on • Tear strength depends on which
pronounced release effect versus the crosslinking density, filler used, particular standard is used.
inorganic and organic materials such and filler content. • Typical values when determined
as gypsum, concrete, polyester, • With higher filler levels in the silicone as per ASTM D 624 B (crescent):
epoxide, polyurethane, polyamide, rubber, the swelling tendency de- 5 – 30 N/mm.
polystyrene, PVC, wax and metal creases and resistance is improved.
alloys. • High swelling tendency to non- Tensile Strength and Elongation
• This effect is exploited where RTV polar liquids such as hydrocarbons, at Break
silicone rubber is used in mold- mineral oils and greases. • Tensile strength and elongation
making compounds to make molded • Low swelling tendency to polar at break
determined as per ISO 37
parts or reproductions. liquids, such as alcohols, low- • Standard test on S1 bar. In some
molecular ketones, and therefore cases, also measurements on small
no negative effect on seal quality. S2 and S3 test specimens, though
• Strongly attacked by concentrated the values deviate correspondingly
acids and alkalis, particularly by • Typical RTV silicone values: tensile
oxidizing acids such as sulfuric or strength — approx. 2 – 8 N/mm2
nitric acid. (or MPa); elongation at break —
approx. 100 % – 900 %

80
Temperature Behavior Thermal Conductivity and Water and Steam Resistance
• Mechanical properties of silicone Specific Heat Capacity • Excellent resistance to boiling
elastomers determined at 23 °C • Determined as per DIN 52 612 water.
(room temperature) as per DIN • The thermal conductivity depends • Volume decrease in boiling water
53503 or DIN 53505 respectively. on the type and amount of fillers below 1 %, even after prolonged
• The change in the mechanical used. action.
properties is small compared • Typical value for standard grades at • Steam sterilization (as per ISO
to organic elastomers. 50 °C: approx. 0.2 – 0.3 W/(m∙K). 17665, DIN EN 868-8 at 500
• Typical service temperature range: • Special thermally conductive cycles at 134 °C, 5 min.) may
–50 to +180 °C. Specialty grades: compounds achieve values of slightly change mechanical
down to -110 °C or up to 270 °C up to 3 W/(m∙K). properties.
(peak temperature load may be • Typical values for specific heat • Water (gaseous) absorption of
even lower or higher). capacity: approx. 1.25 kJ/( kg∙K). < 0.5 % with virtually no effect
• Standard grades harden at very low on mechanical or electrical
temperatures (below -45 °C) due Tracking Resistance properties.
to reversible crystallization. • Silicone rubber generally features
• There is a slow increase in hardness high tracking resistance Weathering and UV Resistance
at very high temperatures (> 200 °C) (e.g., CTI 600 as per IEC 60112). • Silicone rubber items are generally
as a result of heat aging. insensitive to UV radiation.
• At high temperatures (> 180 °C), Viscosity • Properties only change slightly
the organic side groups attached to • Determined as per DIN EN ISO 3219. even in long-term tests (several
the silicon atom undergo free-radical • The viscosity of RTV silicone rubber years of weathering).
cleavage. The resulting free radicals compounds is usually between • Unlike with organic elastomers,
can cause post-curing of the polymer 500 and 2,000,000 mPa∙s. weathering resistance can be
chains, thereby increasing hardness • Viscosity depends on temperature achieved without additives
and decreasing tensile strength and and can depend on shear rate. (e.g. organic antioxidants,
elongation at break (embrittlement). UV stabilizers, etc.).
• The simultaneous weight decrease Volume Resistivity
of the vulcanizate leads to shrinkage. • Determined as per IEC 60093.
• The lifetime of the RTV silicone • Typical values for insulating silicone
vulcanizate can be increased by the rubber grades approx. 1015 Ω∙cm.
use of heat stabilizers • Typical values for conductive RTV
• The increased crosslinking density grades approx. 50 Ω∙cm.
as a result of prolonged thermal
loading has a positive effect on the
rebound resilience.
• Excellent stable, long-term behavior
for electrical insulation at high
temperatures is obtained, as oxida-
tive degradation produces quartz-
like properties.
Silicones A-Z

81
EXPERTISE AND SERVICE NETWORK
ON FIVE CONTINENTS

• Sales offices and production sites, plus WACKER is one of the world’s leading and energy efficiency and protection of the
18 technical centers, ensure you a local presence
worldwide. most research-intensive chemical compa- climate and environment.
nies, with total sales of €4.6 billion. Spanning the globe with 4 business
Products range from silicones, binders divisions, we offer our customers highly-
and polymer additives for diverse industrial specialized products and comprehensive
sectors to bioengineered pharmaceutical service via 23 production sites, 18 technical
actives and hyperpure silicon for semi- competence centers, 13 WACKER
conductor and solar applications. As a ACADEMY training centers and 48 sales
technology leader focusing on sustainability, offices in Europe, North and South America,
WACKER promotes products and ideas and Asia – including a presence in China.
that offer a high value-added potential to With a workforce of some 13,450, we see
ensure that current and future generations ourselves as a reliable innovation partner
enjoy a better quality of life based on that develops trailblazing solutions for,
 Discover Diversity
Silicone Rubber –
Basic Principles
Understanding
RTV Silicones
Getting Started
for Production
RTV Silicones
Handling
Spectrum for RTV Silicones
Technical Application

and in collaboration with, our customers. reliable service to enable projects and
We also help them boost their own suc- orders to be handled fast, reliably and
cess. Our technical centers employ local highly efficiently.
specialists who assist customers world- Visit us anywhere, anytime around the
wide in the development of products world at: www.wacker.com
tailored to regional demands, supporting
them during every stage of their complex
production processes, if required.
WACKER e-solutions are online services
provided via our customer portal and as
Service

integrated process solutions. Our custom-

ers and business partners thus benefit
from comprehensive information and
All figures are based on fiscal 2016.
Rubber Solutions A-Z
 CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

Wacker Chemie AG PRODUCT OVERVIEW

7461B e/08.17
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1741
info@wacker.com

www.wacker.com

www.wacker.com/socialmedia
INDUSTRIAL SEALING &

BONDING APPLICATIONS
Non-slump RTV silicone grades (self-adhesive)

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on
receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be
checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used.
The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying
the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.
Main characteristics Brand Product Product type / curing system Shrink-free By-product of Additional features Food Viscosity Potlife or Hardness Tensile strength Elongation Tear strength Density, cured Recommended CIPG FIPG Aspect / color
curing curing compliance [mPa·s] skin forming time [Shore A] [MPa] at break [%] [N/mm] [g/cm³] max. service
temperature [°C]
Self-adhesive after curing at room temperature
General purpose ELASTOSIL® E4 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Non-slump 20 min 15 2.0 750 7.3 1.02 180 X X Translucent
ELASTOSIL® E 43 N RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Tin free X 300,000 5 min 30 8.0 500 13.5 1.10 180 X Translucent / white / black
ELASTOSIL® E 900 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Non-slump 10 min 20 0.6 300 4.2 1.02 230 X Anthracite
ELASTOSIL® N 197 Gray RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime Low MEKO grade Non-slump 20 min 30 1.2 400 1.40 180 X Gray
ELASTOSIL® N 198 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime Non-slump 30 min 40 3.0 300 4.5 1.24 190 X Gray / black
ELASTOSIL ®
N 2197 RTV-1 / condensation cure Alcohol Flame retardant Non-slump 20 min 35 2.5 350 6.0 1.27 180 X Gray
ELASTOSIL® N 2199 RTV-1 / condensation cure Alcohol Non-slump 15 min 30 2.5 350 4.0 1.06 180 X Translucent
ELASTOSIL® N 9111 RTV-1 / condensation cure Alcohol Tin free Non-slump 25 min 30 2.2 500 10.0 1.33 180 X White / gray / black
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 771 RTV-2 / condensation cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)* Alcohol 150,000 5 min / 10 min * 45 1.0 180 1.55 180 Black
ELASTOSIL® RT 774 RTV-2 / condensation cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)* Alcohol Non-slump 5 min / 15 min * 38 2.1 300 6.2 1.37 180 X Anthracite
Improved mechanical properties ELASTOSIL ®
E 47 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Non-slump 5 min 35 4.5 450 10.0 1.07 180 X Translucent
ELASTOSIL® N 199 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime Non-slump 30 min 35 4.9 500 12.0 1.09 180 X Translucent
Heat resistance ELASTOSIL® A 33 RTV-1 / condensation cure Amine Non-slump 10 min 28 2.5 300 7.8 1.17 200 X Ivory
ELASTOSIL ®
E 14 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Non-slump 15 min 38 3.0 450 7.0 1.18 250 X Red
ELASTOSIL® E 43 BLACK RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid 300,000 15 min 30 6.2 600 11.5 1.10 250 X Black
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 778 RTV-2 / condensation cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)* Alcohol Fast cure Non-slump 5 min / 10 min * 42 3.5 180 7.0 1.32 250 X Black
Media resistance ELASTOSIL® N 189 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime Coolant resistant, oil resistant Non-slump 10 min 32 2.0 300 7.0 1.09 250 X Black
ELASTOSIL® N 2189 RTV-1 / condensation cure Alcohol Coolant resistant, oil resistant Non-slump 15 min 45 2.5 250 4.0 1.23 180 X Black
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 779 RTV-2 / condensation cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)** Alcohol Coolant resistant, oil resistant Non-slump 5 min 50 2.8 250 9.5 1.32 180 X Anthracite
Compressible ELASTOSIL® RT 773 RTV-2 / condensation cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)* Alcohol Low density Non-slump 5 min / 15 min * 35 1.2 110 0.70 140 X Black
ELASTOSIL® SC 833 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) Hydrogen gas Silicone foam, flame retardant 17,000 4 min 27 1.2 80 0.50 200 X Black
ELASTOSIL® SC 835 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) Hydrogen gas Silicone foam 15,000 240 s 20 0.45 80 0.45 200 X Reddish brown
ELASTOSIL® SC 870 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) Hydrogen gas Silicone foam, thixotropic 40,000 150 s 10 0.35 100 0.40 200 X Gray
Self-adhesive after curing at elevated temperature
General purpose ELASTOSIL® RT 703 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Screen printable Non-slump 6 months 33 2.0 360 1.03 200 X X Translucent
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 724 RTV-2 / platinum cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)*** X 100,000 12 h 45 4.0 180 10.0 1.25 180 X Blue
SEMICOSIL® 986/1K 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X UV fluorescent Non-slump 6 months 51 5.0 200 8.0 1.07 180 X Translucent
SEMICOSIL® 987 GR 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Sealing adhesive Non-slump 6 months 50 5.0 200 1.10 180 X Gray
SEMICOSIL ®
988/1K gray 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Sealing adhesive Non-slump 6 months 35 4.5 350 24.0 1.10 180 X X Gray
SEMICOSIL® 989/1K 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Sealing adhesive Non-slump 6 months 55 5.0 200 10.0 1.10 180 X Translucent
SEMICOSIL® 970 TC RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Thermally conductive 94,000 16 h 65 4.0 90 2.26 160 X White-gray
SEMICOSIL® 975 TC 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Thermally conductive Non-slump 3 months 90 3.0 30 6.0 3.30 160 X Reddish gray
High tear resistance ELASTOSIL® RT 722 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X High tensile strength Non-slump 6h 45 6.0 300 1.10 180 X Gray
Heat resistance ELASTOSIL® RT 702 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Non-slump 6 months 40 6.1 500 10.1 1.21 250 X Black
Media resistance ELASTOSIL® RT 727 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Coolant resistant Non-slump 24 h 60 5.5 350 10.0 1.14 180 X X Gray
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 728 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Coolant resistant Non-slump 24 h 60 4.0 200 10.0 1.13 180 X Opaque
Compressible ELASTOSIL® RT 713 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X Low density Non-slump 6 months 23 1.5 350 7.0 0.75 140 X Gray

* base component to be combined with WACKER® Catalyst T 77 or WACKER® Catalyst T 77 PLUS (please see the corresponding technical data sheet for details)
** base component to be combined with WACKER® Catalyst T 79 (please see the corresponding technical data sheet for details)
*** base component to be combined with ELASTOSIL® CAT PT, ELASTOSIL® CAT PT-F or ELASTOSIL® CAT UV to allow curing at room temperature, under heat or by UV light (please see the corresponding technical data sheet for details)

ELASTOSIL® and SEMICOSIL® are registered trademarks of Wacker Chemie AG.

 CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

Wacker Chemie AG PRODUCT OVERVIEW

7461C e/08.17

Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1741
info@wacker.com

www.wacker.com

www.wacker.com/socialmedia
INDUSTRIAL COATING OR

SEALING APPLICATIONS
Flowable RTV silicone grades (self-adhesive)

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on
receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be
checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used.
The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying
the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.
 Main characteristics Brand Product Product type / Shrink-free By-product Additional Food Viscosity Potlife or Hardness Tensile Elongation Tear Density, Recommended Aspect / color
curing system curing of curing features compliance [mPa·s] skin forming [Shore A] strength at break strength cured max. service
time [MPa] [%] [N/mm] [g/cm³] temperature [°C]

Self-adhesive after curing at room temperature

General purpose ELASTOSIL® A 07 RTV-1 / condensation cure Amine Solvent based 8,000 3 min 20 1.5 300 4.0 1.02 200 Translucent
ELASTOSIL® E 41 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Solvent based 65,000 15 min 40 6.0 350 11.5 1.12 180 Translucent
ELASTOSIL® E 50 N RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Tin free X 50,000 10 min 35 1.5 150 5.0 1.07 180 Transparent
ELASTOSIL ®
E 303 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Solvent based 500 5 min 30 5.0 400 0.90 180 Translucent
ELASTOSIL® N 10 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime 8,000 25 min 25 1.5 200 2.0 1.03 180 Transparent
ELASTOSIL ®
N 2010 RTV-1 / condensation cure Alcohol 15,000 20 min 25 1.0 200 1.01 180 Translucent
ELASTOSIL® N 2034 RTV-1 / condensation cure Alcohol Flame retardant 25,000 20 min 35 2.0 200 1.16 180 Black
ELASTOSIL® RT 745 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X 1,000 4h 15 1.0 150 0.97 160 Brownish
Heat resistance ELASTOSIL ®
A 234 RTV-1 / condensation cure Amine 35,000 15 min 36 2.5 200 3.7 1.19 230 White
ELASTOSIL® A 316 RTV-1 / condensation cure Amine Solvent based 500 5 min 15 0.8 200 1.02 180 Translucent
ELASTOSIL ®
A 59 RTV-1 / condensation cure Amine Oil resistant 60,000 45 min 20 1.2 300 3.0 1.43 210 Gray
ELASTOSIL® E 10 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid 8,000 10 min 25 2.5 300 7.3 1.10 250 Red
ELASTOSIL® E 60 N RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid Tin free X 80,000 5 min 35 2.5 250 1.07 230 Black / gray / red
ELASTOSIL ®
E 70 RTV-1 / condensation cure Acetic acid 60,000 15 min 40 3.5 300 5.1 1.24 230 Red
ELASTOSIL® N 288 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime 65,000 50 min 35 3.5 300 5.1 1.09 230 Red
ELASTOSIL ®
N 291 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime Screen printable 45,000 6h 40 2.5 200 5.5 1.21 200 Cream white
ELASTOSIL® N 294 RTV-1 / condensation cure Oxime Screen printable 25,000 6h 33 2.2 200 4.5 1.21 200 Blue / red
ELASTOSIL® RT 772 RTV-2 / condensation cure (Base + Catalyst 10:1)* Alcohol 35,000 5 min / 10 min * 35 2.2 200 1.26 230 Black
Self-adhesive after curing at elevated temperature
Heat resistance ELASTOSIL® RT 705 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X 72,500 6 months 42 3.5 200 3.5 1.24 230 Black
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 706 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X 15,000 6 months 30 2.5 200 1.23 210 Red
ELASTOSIL® RT 707 W 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X 60,000 6 months 42 3.3 270 1.18 230 White
ELASTOSIL® RT 708 1-component heat-curing / platinum cure X UV fluorescent 75,000 6 months 42 3.5 300 1.36 230 Dark gray
High tear resistance ELASTOSIL ®
RT 720 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X 35,000 6h 40 6.0 300 1.10 180 Gray

* base component to be combined with WACKER® Catalyst T 77 or WACKER® Catalyst T 77 PLUS (please see the corresponding technical data sheet for details)

ELASTOSIL® is a registered trademark of Wacker Chemie AG.

 CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

Wacker Chemie AG PRODUCT OVERVIEW

7461D e/08.17

Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1741
info@wacker.com

www.wacker.com

www.wacker.com/socialmedia
INDUSTRIAL POTTING, ENCAPSULATION

OR CASTING APPLICATIONS
Flowable RTV silicone grades

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on
receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be
checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used.
The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying
the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.
 Main characteristics Brand Product Product type / Shrink- By- Additional features Self- Food Viscosity Potlife Hardness Tensile Elonga- Tear Density, Recom- Aspect /
curing system free product adhesive compli- [mPa·s] [Shore A] strength tion strength cured mended color
curing of curing after ance [MPa] at break [N/mm] [g/cm³] max.
curing at [%] service
room tem- tempera-
perature ture [°C]
General purpose ELASTOSIL® RT 402 RTV-2 / condensation cure Alcohol Antistatic 13,000 75 min 11 2.0 350 3 1.28 160 Light gray
(Base + Catalyst 100:3)*
ELASTOSIL® RT 563 RTV-2 / condensation cure Alcohol Excellent flowability 5,000 35 min 55 4.5 120 3 1.27 180 Beige
(Base + Catalyst 100:4)*
ELASTOSIL® RT K RTV-2 / condensation cure Alcohol Excellent flowability 7,000 30 min 45 2.0 130 3 1.22 180 Light gray
(Base + Catalyst 100:4)*
ELASTOSIL® RT 601 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Crystal clear X 3,500 90 min 45 6.0 100 1.02 150 Transparent
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 604 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Crystal clear X 800 90 min 25 1.0 100 3 0.97 150 Transparent
ELASTOSIL® RT 628 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X High tear strength 50,000 60 min 50 3.5 230 11 1.23 180 Gray
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 743 LV-K RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Thermally conductive 1,100 2h 20 3.0 150 1.45 180 Gray
ELASTOSIL® RT 745 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X X 1,000 4h 15 1.0 150 0.97 160 Brownish translucent
ELASTOSIL® RT 745 "S" RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Soft elastomer O 1,000 4h 5 1.0 150 0.97 160 Brownish translucent
SEMICOSIL® 911 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Soft gel, thixotropic X 8,000 1h - - - - 0.99 160 Translucent
SEMICOSIL® 912 RTV-2 / platinum cure X Soft gel X 1,000 Depending on catalyst used - - - - 0.97 160 Transparent
(Base + Catalyst 10:1)**
WACKER SilGel® 612 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Soft gel, crystal clear X 1,000 150 min - - - - 0.97 160 Transparent
WACKER SilGel® 613 RTV-2 / platinum cure X Soft gel, crystal clear X 200 Depending on catalyst used - - - - 0.97 160 Transparent
(Base + Catalyst 10:1)**
High tear resistance ELASTOSIL® RT 620 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 10:1) X Excellent mechanical properties X 6,000 35 min 17 5.0 900 12 1.05 200 Translucent
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 622 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Excellent mechanical properties X 12,000 60 min 27 6.5 550 30 1.13 200 Reddish brown / gray
ELASTOSIL® RT 623 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Excellent mechanical properties X 10,000 30 min 31 7.5 700 30 1.12 200 Reddish brown
ELASTOSIL® RT 625 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Excellent mechanical properties X 12,000 60 min 25 6.5 600 30 1.10 180 Translucent
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 629 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 10:1) X Antistatic 8,000 40 min 31 6.0 500 25 1.13 180 Turquoise
ELASTOSIL® RT 646 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 10:1) X Good chemical resistance X 70,000 80 min 53 5.0 280 12 1.28 180 Beige
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 720 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X O 35,000 6h 40 6.0 300 1.10 180 Gray
Heat resistance ELASTOSIL® RT 426 RTV-2 / condensation cure Alcohol Thermally conductive 10,000 90 min 60 4.5 120 4 1.44 200 Reddish brown
(Base + Catalyst 100:3)*
ELASTOSIL® RT 428 RTV-2 / condensation cure Alcohol Thermally conductive 12,000 100 min 65 6.0 90 5 1.53 200 Reddish brown
(Base + Catalyst 100:3)*
ELASTOSIL® RT 602 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X X 3,500 80 min 30 1.5 130 1.17 200 Light gray
ELASTOSIL® RT 607 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X X 12,000 80 min 55 3.0 100 1.43 210 Reddish brown
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 619 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Flame retardant 9,500 60 min 50 3.9 120 1.42 230 Reddish brown
ELASTOSIL® RT 675 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Thermally conductive X 50,000 150 min 80 2.0 20 2.30 180 Reddish brown
ELASTOSIL® RT 685 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X X 40,000 48 h 40 4.0 250 5 1.10 200 Cream white
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 772 RTV-2 / condensation cure Alcohol X 37,000 5 min / 10 min *** 35 2.2 200 1.26 230 Black
(Base + Catalyst 10:1)***
ELASTOSIL® RT 706 1-component heat-curing / X O 12,000 6 months 30 2.5 200 1.23 210 Red
platinum cure
ELASTOSIL® RT 707 W 1-component heat-curing / X O 60,000 6 months 42 3.3 270 1.18 230 White
platinum cure
Low-temperature flexibility ELASTOSIL® RTV-S 691 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Flexible at very low temperature 20,000 100 min 55 4.5 130 5 1.42 200 Red
ELASTOSIL® S 692 RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 9:1) X Flexible at very low temperature 40,000 4h 35 1.5 200 3 1.05 200 Black
SEMICOSIL ®
900 LT RTV-2 / platinum cure (A/B 1:1) X Soft gel X 13,000 2h - - - - 1.00 160 Translucent

* grade can be transformed into a self-adhesive silicone elastomer when cured with WACKER® Catalyst T 77 or WACKER® Catalyst T 77 PLUS in a mixing ratio of 10:1 (for details, please see the technical data sheets for WACKER Catalyst T 77 and T 77 PLUS)
** base component to be combined with ELASTOSIL® CAT PT, ELASTOSIL® CAT PT-F or ELASTOSIL® CAT UV to allow curing at room temperature, under heat or by UV light (please see the corresponding technical data sheet for details)
*** base component to be combined with WACKER® Catalyst T 77 or WACKER® Catalyst T 77 PLUS (please see the corresponding technical data sheet for details)
O self-adhesive when cured at elevated temperature

ELASTOSIL®, SEMICOSIL® and WACKER SilGel® are registered trademarks of Wacker Chemie AG.
 CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

Wacker Chemie AG PRODUCT OVERVIEW

4761G e/08.17
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1741
info@wacker.com

www.wacker.com

www.wacker.com/socialmedia
SILICONES FOR

MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on
receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be
checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used.
The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying
the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.
SILICONES FOR WOUND CARE SILICONES FOR ORTHOPEDICS AND PROSTHETICS

SILPURAN® Silicones for Scar Treatment ELASTOSIL® RTV-2 Silicone Rubber Grades for Orthopedics and Prosthetics SILPURAN® RTV-2 Silicone Rubber Grades for Orthopedics and Prosthetics (WACKER Clean Room Quality)

Brand Product Mixing Viscosity Viscosity Hardness Hardness Tensile Elongation Tear Color Brand Product Blending Viscosity Viscosity Final Final Tensile Elongation Tear Brand Product Blending Color Viscosity Viscosity Final Final Tensile Elongation Tear
ratio A* B* Shore A* Shore 00* strength* at break* resistance* ratio Component Component hardness hardness strength at break resistance ratio Component Component hardness hardness strength at break strength
A:B [mPa·s] [mPa·s] [N/mm2] [%] [N/mm] A:B A B Shore A Shore 00 ISO 37 ISO 37 ASTM D A:B A B Shore A Shore 00 ISO 37 ISO 37 ASTM D
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] ISO 868 ASTM 2240 [N/mm²] [%] 624 B D = 10 s-1 D = 10 s-1 ISO 868 ASTM [N/mm²] [%] 624 B
SILPURAN® 2400 1:1 1,800 1,800 7 55 2.0 600 3 Translucent
[N/mm] [mPa·s] [mPa·s] 2240 [N/mm]
SILPURAN® 2400/25 1:1 3,300 2,000 <0 25 1.3 700 3 Translucent
ELASTOSIL® P 7600 1:1 4,000 2,000 <0 28 1.2 650 3 SILPURAN® 2400 1:1 Translucent 1,800 1,800 7 55 2.0 600 3
SILPURAN ®
2420 1:1 2,500 3,500 12 62 4.0 650 14 Translucent
ELASTOSIL ®
P 7670 1:1 1,200 1,400 7 55 1.9 580 3 SILPURAN® 2400/25 1:1 Translucent 3,300 2,000 <0 25 1.3 700 3
ELASTOSIL ®
P 7671 1:1 1,500 1,800 <0 21 0.5 400 2 SILPURAN ®
2420 1:1 Translucent 2,500 3,500 12 62 4.0 650 14
ELASTOSIL® P 7676 1:1 1,300 900 <0 15 0.8 700 2 SILPURAN® 2430 1:1 Translucent 8,000 10,000 20 - 6.0 540 23
Brand Product Mixing ratio A:B Viscosity A* Viscosity B* Penetration Adhesive strength** Potlife at 23 °C
ELASTOSIL ®
P 7683 / 25 1:1 1,200 3,500 <0 25 1.5 650 5 SILPURAN ®
2440 1:1 Translucent 15,000 10,000 35 - 7.0 400 25
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] [1/10 mm] [N/2.5 cm] [min]
ELASTOSIL® P 7683 / 47 1:1 1,700 1,500 7 47 2.6 450 8 SILPURAN® 2445 1:1 Translucent 10,000 10,000 40 - 7.0 400 18
SILPURAN® 2130 1:1 1,100 1,000 220 1.8 74
ELASTOSIL ®
P 7684 / 40 1:1 1,500 2,300 <0 40 2.2 670 8 SILPURAN ®
2450 1:1 White 35,000 20,000 54 - 7.0 230 14
ELASTOSIL® P 7684 / 60 1:1 1,400 2,600 12 60 3.8 650 13 SILPURAN® 2438 ADH 1:1 Translucent 6,700 (D=100) 6,000 (D=100) 35 - 6.8 450 15
ELASTOSIL® PK 16 1:1 1,700 2,700 <0 20 1.2 850 4

SILPURAN Silicones for Advanced Wound Care

®

Brand Product Viscosity A* Viscosity B* Penetration Adhesive strength** Potlife at 23 °C SILPURAN® RTV-1 Silicone Rubber Grade for Orthopedic Technology and Prosthetics
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] [1/10 mm] [N/2.5 cm] [min]
ELASTOSIL RTV-2 Silicone Gels for External Mammary Prostheses
®

SILPURAN® 2100 34,000 35,500 205 2.7 73 Brand Product Color Viscosity Endhardness Tensile strength Elongation at Tear resistance
D = 10 s-1 Shore A ISO 37 break ISO 37 ASTM 624 B
SILPURAN ®
2112 11,600 11,500 225 2.6 76 Brand Product Blending ratio Viscosity Viscosity Potlife at Gel time at Penetration, hollow cone
[mPa·s] ISO 868 [N/mm2] [%] [N/mm]
A:B Component A Component B 23 °C 70 °C 62.5 g for 5 sec.
SILPURAN ®
2114 12,000 10,000 200 3.5 70
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] [h] [min] [1/10 mm] SILPURAN® 4200 Translucent 200,000 35 5.5 300 10
SILPURAN® 2130 1,100 1,000 220 1.8 74
ELASTOSIL® P 7616-160 1:1 350 1,200 >6 22 160
ELASTOSIL® P 7616-195 1:1 350 1,200 >4 13 195
ELASTOSIL® P 7618 1:1 50 300 >6 15 220
ELASTOSIL ®
P 7619 2:1 100 1,100 >6 21 200
SILPURAN® Silicones for Stoma Care
ELASTOSIL® P 7630 1:1 9,000 9,000 0.5 3 220 (density 0.62 g/cm3)
Brand Product Viscosity A* Viscosity B* Penetration Adhesive strength** Potlife at 23 °C ELASTOSIL ®
P 7636 1:1 8,500 8,500 4 9 256 (density 0.76 g/cm3)
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] [1/10 mm] [N/2.5 cm] [min]
SILPURAN® 2142 80,000 40,000 140 7.5 90

ELASTOSIL® RTV-2 Silicone Gels for Antidecubitus Applications

SILPURAN® Silicones for Traditional Wound Care and Medical Tape Brand Product Blending ratio Viscosity Viscosity Potlife at 23 °C Penetration, hollow
A:B Component A Component B [min] cone 62.5 g for
Brand Product Viscosity A* Viscosity B* Penetration Adhesive strength** Potlife at 23 °C [mPa·s] [mPa·s] 5 sec. [1/10 mm]
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] [1/10 mm] [N/2.5 cm] [min] ELASTOSIL® P 26028 VP 1:1 35 1,100 10 150
SILPURAN® 2117 33,000 13,000 210 3.0 40
All figures are intended as a guide and should not be used in preparing specifications.
SILPURAN® 2122 3,200 2,700 180 5.5 60

* For standard specifications and technical parameters, refer to the technical data sheet
** On stainless steel
Measurement conditions for penetration: hollow cone 62.5 g, 60 sec.

All figures are intended as a guide and should not be used in preparing specifications.

ELASTOSIL® and SILPURAN® are registered trademarks of Wacker Chemie AG.

 CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

Wacker Chemie AG PRODUCT OVERVIEW

4761F e/08.17
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1741
info@wacker.com

www.wacker.com

www.wacker.com/socialmedia
MOLD MAKING: FORM HAS NO LIMITS

ELASTOSIL® M, C and RT High-Quality Silicone Rubber

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on
receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be
checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used.
The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying
the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.
PRODUCT TO PROPERTY PROPERTY TO PRODUCT

Brand Product Catalyst Mixing ratio Viscosity A Viscosity B Mixing Hardness Elongation at Tensile Tear Specific Color (cured) Potlife Vulcanization Typical mold making applications Brand Product FDA Low Easy Heat Anti- Fast Long Shrink- Resin stability Oil Ink Non-
[mPa·s] [mPa·s] viscosity [Shore A] break [%] strength resistance gravity (cured) [min] time [h] viscos- mixing resist- static vulcani- potlife age bleed- resist- sag
[mPa·s] [N/mm²] [N/mm] [g/cm³] ity (1:1) ant zation <0.1% ing ant

Condensation Curing
Epoxy Poly- Poly-
ELASTOSIL® RT 402 T 12 3% 15,000 13,000 11 350 2 >3 1.28 Gray 75 5 Industrial printing, antistatic ester urethane

ELASTOSIL® M 1470 Paste T 40 2% Kneadable Kneadable 45 230 4.5 > 10 1.28 Pink 70 4-5 Reproduction Condensation Curing
ELASTOSIL ®
M 4400 T 37 / T 40 3% / 2% 30,000 25,000 23 250 2 >3 1.30 Yellow 90 / 40 9 - 12 / 5 - 7 Reproduction ELASTOSIL® RT 402  
ELASTOSIL® M 4440 T 37 / T 40 3% / 2% 25,000 20,000 37 220 2.5 > 4.5 1.23 White 80 / 50 8 - 10 / 6 - 7 Reproduction ELASTOSIL® M 1470  
ELASTOSIL ®
M 4470 T 37 / T 40 3% / 2% 15,000 10,000 60 120 4.5 >4 1.44 Reddish brown 90 / 40 20 - 24 / 3 - 4 Low melting metals ELASTOSIL ®
M 4400 
ELASTOSIL® RT 480 T 37 / T 40 3% / 2% Spreadable Spreadable 55 170 4.5 >7 1.20 Gray 120 / 20 9/3 Reproduction ELASTOSIL® M 4440 
ELASTOSIL® M 3502 T 21 / T 51 5% / 5% Non-sag Non-sag 26 450 4.5 > 23 1.24 White 60 - 90 8 - 10 Skin mold, reproduction ELASTOSIL ®
M 4470   
ELASTOSIL® M 4511 T 21 / T 51 5% / 5% 25,000 20,000 12 600 3.5 > 18 1.22 White 60 - 90 8 - 10 Reproduction ELASTOSIL® M 3502  
ELASTOSIL® M 4512 T 21 / T 51 5% / 5% 30,000 25,000 20 500 3.5 > 24 1.19 White 60 - 90 8 - 10 Reproduction, automotive ELASTOSIL® M 4511   
ELASTOSIL® M 4514 T 21 / T 51 5% / 5% 35,000 25,000 25 450 4.5 > 25 1.25 White 60 - 90 8 - 10 Reproduction ELASTOSIL® M 4512   
ELASTOSIL ®
M 4541 T 21 / T 51 5% / 5% 40,000 35,000 32 400 5 > 30 1.16 White 60 - 90 8 - 10 Reproduction ELASTOSIL® M 4514   
ELASTOSIL® M 4503 T 35 5% 45,000 40,000 25 350 5 > 20 1.16 White 90 15 - 20 Reproduction ELASTOSIL ®
M 4541   
ELASTOSIL® M 4503 
Brand Product Catalyst A:B Viscosity A Viscosity B Mixing Hardness Elongation at Tensile Tear Specific Color (cured) Potlife Vulcanization Typical mold making applications Addition Curing
Components [mPa·s] [mPa·s] viscosity [Shore A] break [%] strength resistance gravity (cured) [min] time [h] ELASTOSIL® M 4370    
[mPa·s] [N/mm²] [N/mm] (g/cm3)
ELASTOSIL® M 4600   
Addition Curing
ELASTOSIL® M 4601   
ELASTOSIL® M 4370 A 9:1 10,000 350 8,000 55 130 3 >4 1.43 Reddish brown 80 6 Low melting metals
ELASTOSIL® M 4615   
ELASTOSIL® M 4600 B 10:1 20,000 12,000 15,000 20 800 7 > 20 1.10 Translucent 80 12 Reproduction
ELASTOSIL® M 4630    
ELASTOSIL® M 4601 B 9:1 15,000 800 10,000 28 700 6.5 > 30 1.13 Reddish brown 90 12 Reproduction, automotive, composite
ELASTOSIL ®
M 4635   
ELASTOSIL® M 4615 B 100:15 7,000 500 5,000 13 > 700 3 > 10 1.03 Blue 40 5 Reproduction, glove molding
ELASTOSIL® M 4641    
ELASTOSIL® M 4630 B 10:1 15,000 800 10,000 28 700 6.5 > 30 1.13 White 90 12 Construction
ELASTOSIL ®
M 4642    
ELASTOSIL® M 4635 B 10:1 20,000 700 15,000 37 480 7 > 30 1.14 White 90 12 Construction
ELASTOSIL® M 4643    
ELASTOSIL® M 4641 A 10:1 50,000 400 30,000 43 > 300 > 4.5 > 25 1.07 Translucent 90 12 Prototype
ELASTOSIL® M 4644    
ELASTOSIL® M 4642 B 10:1 20,000 700 15,000 37 480 7 > 30 1.14 Dark red 90 12 Reproduction, composite
ELASTOSIL ®
M 4645    
ELASTOSIL® M 4643 B 9:1 40,000 800 25,000 48 300 5 > 10 1.31 Gray 90 12 Reproduction, automotive
ELASTOSIL® M 4670    
ELASTOSIL® M 4644 A 10:1 70,000 500 50,000 40 400 5.5 > 25 1.07 Translucent 80 12 Prototype (slight oil bleeding)
ELASTOSIL® RT 620    
ELASTOSIL® M 4645 A 10:1 50,000 3,500 35,000 40 330 5 > 28 1.06 Translucent 80 12 Prototype (strong oil bleeding)
ELASTOSIL® RT 623    
ELASTOSIL® M 4670 A 10:1 120,000 7,000 80,000 55 250 5.5 > 12 1.28 Beige 90 12 Reproduction, prototype, composite
ELASTOSIL® RT 629     
ELASTOSIL® RT 620 B 10:1 7,000 1,200 6,000 17 900 5 > 12 1.05 Translucent 35 4 Industrial printing
ELASTOSIL® C 1200     
ELASTOSIL ®
RT 623 B 9:1 15,000 800 10,000 31 700 7.5 > 30 1.12 Reddish brown 30 5 Industrial printing
ELASTOSIL® M 4115   
ELASTOSIL® RT 629 B 10:1 14,000 900 8,000 31 500 6 25 1.13 Turquoise 40 3 Industrial printing, antistatic
ELASTOSIL® M 4125    
ELASTOSIL ®
C 1200 A 1:1 20,000 20,000 20,000 25 500 5 25 1.05 Blue 20 1 Composite
ELASTOSIL® M 4125 F     
ELASTOSIL® M 4115 A 1:1 2,500 2,500 2,500 17 400 3 5 1.05 Translucent 12 1 Cosmetic
ELASTOSIL® VARIO 15    
ELASTOSIL® M 4125 A 1:1 6,000 6,000 6,000 25 500 5 25 1.05 Translucent 60 12 Industrial printing (printing roller)
ELASTOSIL ®
VARIO 40   
ELASTOSIL® M 4125 F A 1:1 6,000 6,000 6,000 28 500 5 25 1.05 White 15 2 Industrial printing (printing roller), reproduction
ELASTOSIL® VARIO 15 CAT Vario / Cat Vario F 10:1 5,000 3,000 15 ... * 900 6.5 15 1.06 Translucent 150 / 2 6 / 0.25 All  For prepreg use
 Strong oil bleeding
ELASTOSIL ®
VARIO 40 CAT Vario / Cat Vario F 10:1 15,000 10,000 ... 40 ** 450 8 15 1.15 Translucent 150 / 2 6 / 0.25 All

The data are only intended as a guide and should not be used in preparing specifications.
* Can be blended by adding ELASTOSIL® VARIO 40
** Can be blended by adding ELASTOSIL® VARIO 15

ELASTOSIL® is a registered trademark of Wacker Chemie AG.

 CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

ELASTOSIL ® COLOR PASTE FL

ELASTOSIL® Color Paste FL

Similar to RAL* BfR  FDA  Conditions of use
Standard colors
Yellow RAL 1016   2) Use B-H**
Red iron oxide RAL 3013  

Blue RAL 5022  

White RAL 9010  

Deep black RAL 9011   3)

Other colors
Yellow RAL 1006  

Ivory RAL 1014 

Yellow RAL 1021   3) Use B-H**

Yellow RAL 1026 

Yellow RAL 1026 F   3) Use C-H**

Yellow RAL 1033   Use B-H**
Red-brown RAL 2001  

Orange RAL 2004 

Orange RAL 2004 F   4) Use B-H**

Dark red RAL 3000
Red RAL 3020   4) Use B-H**
Red violet RAL 4002   1)
Blue RAL 5002  

Dark blue RAL 5010   5)

Light blue RAL 5015 

Light blue RAL 5015 F  

Heliogreen RAL 6004  

Green RAL 6010   5)

Gray RAL 7000 

Deep black RAL 9005 

Black RAL 9005 F  

UV fluorescent n.a.

 Complies with the requirements of BfR Recommendation IX 1) maximum quantity: 1 weight-% The ELASTOSIL® COLOR PASTE FL products show temperature resistance of
“Pigments for coloring plastics“ and of FDA regulation 2) maximum quantity: 3 weight-% at least 42 d / 175 °C or 21 d / 200 °C and UV-resistance for at least 21 d
CFR 21 § 177.2600 ”Rubber Articles Intended for Repeated 3) maximum quantity: 4 weight-% (continuous exposure in UV weathering chamber).
Use“ when the maximum quantity limits are respected. 4) maximum quantity: 5 weight-%
* The RAL values shown in the table are only intended as 5) maximum quantity: 10 weight-% ELASTOSIL® is a registered trademark of Wacker Chemie AG.
a guide and should not be used in preparing specifications.
** Refer to 21 CFR §176.170 (c) (4–1–05 Edition), www.fda.gov

Wacker Chemie AG
Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4, D-81737 München
info@wacker.com, www.wacker.com, www.wacker.com/socialmedia
7461E e/08.17

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on receipt.
We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be checked by
preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used. The information
provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying the position.
Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.
Wacker Chemie AG
7461e/08.17

Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4
81737 München, Germany
Tel. +49 89 6279-1741
info@wacker.com

www.wacker.com

www.wacker.com/socialmedia

The data presented in this medium are in accordance with the present state of our knowledge but do not absolve the user from carefully checking all supplies immediately on
receipt. We reserve the right to alter product constants within the scope of technical progress or new developments. The recommendations made in this medium should be
checked by preliminary trials because of conditions during processing over which we have no control, especially where other companies’ raw materials are also being used.
The information provided by us does not absolve the user from the obligation of investigating the possibility of infringement of third parties’ rights and, if necessary, clarifying
the position. Recommendations for use do not constitute a warranty, either express or implied, of the fitness or suitability of the product for a particular purpose.