Other than plastic, rubber, and metal, another material that is commonly used in producing useful extrusions is silicone. If you think you haven’t seen any silicone extrusion product, think again. All you need to do is walk around your own home and you’ll find many of them. From floor to ceiling, silicone extrusions have been well-used in many environments. These include most insulators that cover the wires in your house, as well as some tubing. The next time you go to a hospital and see a doctor, ask him what kind of material his equipment is made of. He’ll surely tell you that much of it is made of silicone.
Like all materials, silicone goes through the same basic process of extrusion. The raw material is forced through a shaped die. The die is designed in whatever way the client or manufacturer desires. The material emerges out from the other side of the die bearing the same design as the die.
Silicone is a popular material of choice because of its unique properties. One of these useful properties is its thermal stability, which is the ability of a material to change because of heat. Silicone is also non-lipophilic. This means that it does not dissolve in fats, lipids, oils and other non-polar solvents. Another important characteristic of silicone is that it is able to repel water, thus forming watertight seals. It also has excellent resistance to sunlight, ozone, and oxygen. Silicone is also a very flexible non-conductor. As an insulator, it can protect you from being electrocuted. This is why most wires and other parts inside an electronic device are covered in silicone. It is also anti-adhesive. It has a very low chemical reactivity and toxicity, making it safer compared to other materials.