Wacker: Silicone solutions

In 2009, the Wacker Group generated sales of some EUR 3.72 billion (2008: EUR 4.30 billion), of which Germany accounted for 21 %, Europe (excluding Germany) 25 %, North and South America just under 17 %, Asia-Pacific 34 % and the rest of the world 3 %. Wacker had roughly 15,600 employees on 31 December 2009.

Elastosil R 101

Transportation

Elastosil LR 3092/65 and Elastosil R plus 4060 are two new silicone products for the automotive industry. Both products have a very low compression set and high heat resistance and consequently make ideal sealing materials, for example in intercoolers. In addition, spark-plug boots made of Elastosil R plus 4060 afford optimum protection against moisture and water splashes even at high temperatures.

Elastosil R 101 shows excellent fatigue resistance. It can thus significantly improve the damping properties of engine mounts. It offers very good low and high temperature properties that guarantee flexibility down to –50 °C, and heat stability up to 180 °C, which can be improved further with heat stabilisers. A special plus is that its mechanical and dynamic properties remain constant over a wide temperature range.

Elastosil R 770 cure to self-extinguishing and flame-resistant elastomers. When they burn, they generate little smoke and emit no toxic fumes. The new grades can be extruded and moulded to products that combine typical silicone rubber properties with exceptional fire safety characteristics. The cured elastomer is heat stable and remains permanently elastic even at low temperatures down to –40 °C, without the need for a plasticiser. They can be used wherever fire safety is an issue, such as in rail vehicles and aircraft.

Elastosil R plus 4370

Rubber fabrication

Furthermore, Wacker will introduce novel solid silicone rubber grades that cure to elastomers of very low surface friction. The grades are the Elastosil R plus 4366 series for extrusion, the Elastosil R plus 4066 grades for moulding and Silpuran high-purity silicone products developed specifically for medical applications. Unlike with traditional oil-exuding silicones, no oily silicone film forms at the surface. At the same time, the elastomers are characterised by very high tear strength and good overall mechanical properties
New self-adhesive high consistency silicone rubber grades (Elastosil R plus 4370, 4070/60) are available for the cost-effective coextrusion or moulding of hard-soft material combinations. They bond to different metal and plastic substrates without the need to pretreat the substrate surface.

Silpuran 2149 UV

Health care

For healthcare applications, Wacker has announced the first UV-activated, biocompatible silicone adhesive for wound care. Silpuran 2149 UV cures to a soft elastic, adhesive material. Curing is initiated by brief irradiation with ultraviolet light and proceeds very quickly at room temperature. It is a pourable, two-component, addition-curing system containing a UV-sensitive catalyst. It allows the curing time to be individually set via the UV radiation dose and the process temperature.

Power transmission and distribution

Powersil UV is a new silicone curing technology for applications in the transmission and distribution industry. Curing is initiated by irradiation with ultraviolet light and proceeds at room temperature. The new technology allows for flexible and cost-efficient silicone processing.