Silicone Can Be Classified According To Different Factors Such As Its Characteristics, Uses, And Components
Classified by use and characteristics
Food-grade silicone: used to make utensils that come into contact with food, such as custom silicone baking molds, baby pacifiers, etc.
Medical grade silicone: used in the manufacture of medical devices, medical seals, prostheses, etc., with biocompatibility and high temperature resistance.
Industrial grade silicone: Used in the manufacture of industrial parts, seals, coatings, etc., with chemical resistance and high temperature performance.
Transparent Silicone: Silicone with high transparency, usually used in the manufacture of optical components, optical fibers, etc.
Classified by processing method
Liquid injection molding silicone: Using the injection molding process, liquid silicone is injected into the mold to manufacture products.
Compression Molding Silicone: Products are manufactured by placing silicone into a mold and then applying pressure.
Extruded silicone: extruding silicone material through an extruder to make pipes, seals, etc.
These classifications are just some common classification methods of silica gel. In fact, there are other special classifications and application fields of silica gel, such as silica gel filling material, silica gel coating, etc. According to different application requirements, silica gel can be customized and applied in various fields.
By ingredients
Solid silicone: also known as silica gel capsule, is a kind of microporous silica gel, with high adsorption performance, widely used in drying, dehumidification and separation and other fields.
Liquid silicone: also known as silicone oil or silicone liquid, mainly used as lubricant, sealant, heat insulating agent and heat transfer medium.
Rubber-like silicone: also known as silicone rubber, has elasticity and high temperature resistance, and is widely used in sealing, insulation, manufacturing parts and other fields.
Classified by silicone hardness
Hard silicone: Hard silicone has high hardness and rigidity, and is usually used to make silicone seals, parts, etc.
Medium-hard silicone: Medium-hard silicone has a certain hardness and softness, and is often used to make silicone bracelets, mobile phone protective cases, etc.
Soft silicone: Soft silicone has low hardness and is very soft, suitable for baby products, baby pacifiers, etc.
The consumption growth of the silicone industry has shown a positive trend in the past decade
Wide range of application fields: Silicone is widely used in many fields such as medical treatment, food, industry, electronics, and home furnishing. With the continuous development of these fields, the demand for silica gel is also increasing.
Increased awareness of health and environmental protection: As consumers pay more attention to health and environmental protection issues, the demand for food-grade and medical-grade silicone products is gradually increasing.
Technological innovation: The silicone industry is constantly undergoing technological innovations to develop more functional and high-performance silicone products, and these innovations have contributed to the growth of the market.
Emerging application fields: The application of silica gel in emerging fields, such as flexible electronics and biomedicine, continues to emerge, bringing new growth opportunities for the industry.
Sustainability and environmental protection needs: Sustainability and environmental protection issues have triggered an increase in the demand for environmentally friendly materials, and silicone has attracted attention as a renewable and recyclable material.
Only by understanding the different classifications of silicone products can we choose the correct materials and production processes to produce the most cost-effective silicone products.