Silicones in Everyday Life - American Chemistry Council

Products made with silicones protect and improve our quality of life. Silicones play an increasingly important role in supporting improvement, innovation, and progress in a wide range of industry sectors. In everything from aviation to textiles, they enhance existing materials and make new ones possible.

Silicones are integral to our everyday lives. Here are 10 examples of how these properties make silicones indispensable in modern life, contributing to the functionality, safety, and convenience of many products we use daily.

1. Thermal Stability:

Silicones can withstand extreme temperatures without degrading. This makes them ideal for use in cookware, baking mats, and automotive components.

2. Water Repellency:

Silicones are hydrophobic, meaning they help repel water. This property is useful in waterproofing treatments for fabrics, sealants for construction, and coatings for electronics.

3. Flexibility and Elasticity:

Silicones help maintain their flexibility and elasticity over a wide range of temperatures. This characteristic is helpful for medical devices like catheters, consumer products like flexible molds, and industrial applications like gaskets and seals.

4. Electrical Insulation:

Silicones are excellent electrical insulators, making them ideal for use in electrical and electronic applications, such as insulating materials for wires and cables and components in electronic devices.

5. Biocompatibility:

Medical-grade silicones are biocompatible, meaning they are used in applications that come in contact with the human body. This makes them suitable for medical implants, prosthetics, and various medical devices.

6. Durability:

Silicones are resistant to environmental factors such as UV radiation, ozone, and chemicals. This durability makes them suitable for outdoor applications, such as sealants for buildings, automobile parts, and coatings.

7. Transparency and Clarity:

Silicones can be made transparent, which is valuable in optical applications like lenses, light diffusers, and in the production of certain medical devices.

8. Food-Use Applications:

Silicones are generally inert, and can be used in food-related applications such as bakeware, kitchen utensils, and baby products.

9. Lubrication:

Silicone oils are used as lubricants because they do not degrade easily and can operate at a wide range of temperatures. They are used in automotive, industrial machinery, and personal care products like hair conditioners and skin moisturizers.

10. Versatility:

Silicones can be molded, extruded, and formed into various shapes and sizes, making them incredibly versatile for numerous applications across different industries, from automotive and aerospace to healthcare and consumer goods.