Silicone rubber is an elastomer (rubber-like material) composed of silicone (itself a polymer) containing silicon together with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Silicone rubbers have become widely used in the keypad industry, and there are multiple formulations. Part I of our Silicone Rubber Series will detail these formulations.

Silicone rubbers are often one- or two-part polymers, and may contain fillers to improve properties. Typically the silicone rubber contains properties called “Organosiloxanes Polymer” which have originated from its unique molecular structure that can carry both inorganic and organic rubbers. Due to the Si-O bond of Silicone Rubber and its inorganic properties, Silicone Rubber is superior to ordinary organic rubbers in terms of heat resistance, chemical stability, electrical insulating, abrasion resistance, weather ability and ozone resistance etc. The silicone rubber compounds are used in various ways of application such as rubber keypads, industrial rolls, wires, thermal conductive pads, medical products, kitchenware, etc.

With these unique characteristics, silicone rubber has been widely used to replace petrochemical products in various industries like aerospace, munitions industry, automobile, construction, electric and electronics, medical and food processing industry. Recently, these scopes of silicone applications have been expanding at a great speed by the high demand of industries that require a more reliable elastomer.