10 Facts About LSR That Every Rubber Expert Should Know
LSR is an acronym for a very popular chemical called Liquid Silicone Rubber. In the past decade, the use of this chemical has increased dramatically in a wide assortment of applications. Before we understand what Liquid Silicone rubber is, let us see what silicone rubber is! In simple terms, silicone rubber is a material which is like rubber. It is made up of silicone (which is a polymer made up of silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.) They find a lot of use in the industry due to their excellent properties of inertness, resistance, and stability under a wide range of temperatures and pressure. As silicone rubber is also easy to produce, they can be used for automobiles, sealants, textile industry, medical devices, and as insulators.
How is Liquid Silicone Rubber Developed?
A liquid silicone rubber is developed through the use of two different components and essentially a very pure silicone that has been cured using platinum. For any application related to manufacturing, that calls for high resistance, strength and quality, liquid silicone rubber has evolved to be the chemical of choice. This is a highly viscous formulation, and generally employed or pumped out using an injection technique. Long polysiloxane chains are strengthened with chemically treated silica in the two-component technique known as liquid silicone rubber (LSR). A platinum catalyst is present in Component A, and Methyl-hydrogen-siloxane, a cross-linker and an alcohol inhibitor, is present in Component B. Silicone rubber is a very gluey gel when it is uncured. It has to be cured, vulcanised, or catalysed in order to become a solid. At the moment of fabrication, this is often done in two stages to create the correct form, followed by a protracted post-cure phase. Also possible is injection moulding. The platinum-catalyzed cure method allows for the use of heat or pressure to speed up the curing process.
Benefits of Liquid Silicone Rubber
Liquid Silicone Rubber has a number of benefits depending on the application or its industrial usage. It may be utilised for items that come into touch with people, such as organ replacements or prosthetics since it is tremendously biocompatible. Its high level of durability guarantees long-term stability and chemical resistance. Thirdly, it can endure a broad assortment of temperatures ranging from -50°C to +200°C, while always keeping its high-performance mechanical qualities. Fourth, it is perfect for insulation and precise conductivity protection due to its electrical qualities. Finally, it is translucent and may be tinted to match any colour needed, even the tones of human skin. For sectors like automotive or medical devices, where tiny and intricate elastomeric components must be manufactured, Liquid Silicone Rubber is also regarded as the material of choice. Liquid Injection Molding of LSRs becomes one of the most effective processes for fabricators in such circumstances.
Global Liquid Silicone Rubber Manufacturers
There are many liquid silicone rubber manufacturers globally. Prominent global manufacturers of LSR include SIMTECH, Applerubber, 3M, RIVA, NJSOLUTIONS etc. Since china is the largest manufacturer of Silicone rubber, there are many companies located out of china that export high quality silicone across the world. Liquid silicone rubber price varies widely from continent to continent. In Asia pacific region, LSR cost between 5800 – 6800 $ per metric tonne. In America, the price is around 4500$ per metric tonne.
Liquid Silicone Rubber Manufacturers in India
There are many Liquid Silicone rubber manufacturers in India too. Prominent names that come to mind are Laxmi rubber, Midas Rubber, Patil rubber and plastics, Himsan Polymer Pvt Limited, etc. Their products are renowned for their excellent finish and high durability. They take customized orders to cater to their clientele and offer excellent sales support. With a strong network of the supply chain, they are able to deliver their products all across India and also ship to the rest of the world.
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Price of Liquid Silicone Rubber
The price of liquid silicone rubber depends on the quality of the product. Liquid silicone rubber price in India varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, along with the region where the product needs to be used or shipped. LSR products are generally manufactured using liquid injection technique, and depending on the precision required the pricing also varies. As a thumb rule, one can assume the price of LSR to vary between 400 to 750 rupees per kilo. LSR shipped to other manufacturers who utilize them for the manufacture of other products such as electric cables, medical devices, silicone sealants, etc would be lesser than this as they order in bulk quantities. For consumers, the above-mentioned price holds good.
10 Important Facts About Liquid Silicone Rubber
These are ten important facts about Liquid Silicone rubber that is very beneficial for everyone to know. Let us enumerate and explain them in this article.
- LSRs are non-reactive and very stable under extreme temperature and pressure. This property of LSR makes them very suitable for applications where there is an adverse condition of either high pressure of high heat. In voltage lines used for transmission systems, the LSR ensures that the lines are not exposed to the elements directly, thereby ensuring the longevity of those voltage lines. Also in other outdoor applications, the use of Liquid Silicone Rubber will ensure a longer life for the product.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber can be made as self-lubricating during the manufacturing process. For any application that requires the use of lubricants such as window slide rails etc, Liquid Silicone Rubber can be used. In this scenario, any lubricating material that is non-reactive to liquid silicone rubber is mixed. This ensures that when the liquid silicone rubber is cured, then this lubricant rises to the surface and remains there, thus ensuring great lubrication and reduction of friction losses.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber can be readily coloured for suitability for various applications. In reality, the manufacture of liquid silicone rubber produces a colourless product. However, liquid silicone rubber can be easily pigmented and applied for applications such as device manufacturing etc.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber are medical grade. Therefore, medical devices are one of the most common areas for use of Liquid Silicone Rubber. Given the inert nature of Liquid Silicone Rubber, these medical devices can be regularly sterilized and they are biocompatible as well. One must remember that medical devices need to undergo a stringent set of testing and must follow medical standards laid out.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber are now the prime choice of material for automotive industries. As the automotive industries have begun to offer high quality products, Liquid Silicone Rubber have found incredible use as sealants, noise suppressors, automotive components as well as a plethora of other applications in this regard.
- There is a myth that Liquid Silicone Rubber only has a few capabilities. Contrary to popular belief, Liquid Silicone Rubber is a broad category that includes a variety of materials and procedures. Due to the materials' elasticity, which allows for thick-thin-thick part/product wall thickness as well as very accurate undercuts, injection-moulded components may be both technically and dimensionally complicated.
- Another myth is that the tooling process is costly. Due to its rapid cycle durations and high cavitation, Liquid Silicone Rubber injection moulding is one of the most efficient processes, particularly when big quantities are involved. There won't be much material waste or secondary operating costs using LST.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber are flame resistant and steam resistant, and therefore for applications where high temperatures are involves, liquid silicone rubber find regular use in the manufacture of products suited to this industry. The silicone rubber is capable of maintaining its shape, properties as well as consistency under high steam operation.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber have a very high tensile strength. The range of its tensile feature varies between I to 200. Also, since they have a strong rebound property and are resilient, thus for applications involving such features, liquid silicone rubber is used.
- Liquid Silicone Rubber is an excellent insulator. Therefore, in electric cable industry, liquid silicone rubber are widely used to insulate the copper wires, ensuring that the coper remains unaffected by outside temperature while providing a safe passage for the current to flow, without causing any shock.
Conclusion: Liquid silicone rubber is a highly versatile elastomer. It finds application in a wide-ranging field such as medical devices, sealant, electric cables, adhesives, devices etc. The price of LSR varies from continent to continent. India has a lot of manufacturing companies for LSR, and the excellent qualities of LSR make it a first rate material for production.
FAQ: Liquid Silicone Rubber
Q. What is a Liquid Silicone Rubber?
Ans: Liquid silicone rubber is an elastomer. It consists of silica, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. Generally, platinum is used as a catalyst for curing it.
Q. How can I find Liquid Silicone Rubber Manufacturers near me?
Ans: LSR are not generally available for end-consumer use on a large scale. However, you can find them in hardware shops. For devices made out of LSR, you need to be specific in your search and connect with the company concerned.
Q. What is the benefit of LSR?
Ans: The important features of LSR have been listed in this article for your reference. Noteworthy features include inertness, high resistance, food-grade material, waterproof, etc.
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