Understanding Silicone and Its Features
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Understanding Silicone and Its Features

by sal yosufy on Jun 10, 2020

More and more customers are becoming conscious when it comes to their purchases. A lot of customers today actively look for eco-friendly alternatives in the market. According to a survey conducted by Accenture, 83% of the 6,000 consumers from North America, Europe, and Asia stated that it is important or extremely important for companies to produce environment-friendly products. The SurveyMonkey audience also prefers greener options, even if some are available at a higher price tag. Why do consumers now prefer eco products? The results of the survey administered by the One Planet Network show that 65.4% of the respondents are concerned with environment preservation, 62.4% are health conscious, and 49.8% value the ethical aspects of the production process.

 

One movement that eco-friendly consumers support is the advocacy of stopping plastic production. Organizations have been continuously looking for great alternatives for plastic. So far, the material that can best replace plastic is silicone.

 

What Is Silicone?

 

To understand more about silicone, here are some terms you need to know:

 

Silica – or Silicon dioxide (SiO2) is a result of the combination of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O2). This material can be found in quartz and is the most common component of sand. Also, it is generally used in glass, cement, ceramic, and fiber productions.

 

Silicon – (Si) is known as the second most abundant element in Earth next to oxygen. 27% of the Earth’s crust is made of silicon. It is a metalloid, which means metals and nonmetal properties are both present. This element is also typically used as semiconductors in electronics.

 

Silicone – is a combination of silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, and/or carbon. Unlike Silica and Silicon that are natural elements, it is human-made and manufactured in factories. The end result can be in solid, liquid, or gel form.

 

How Is Silicone Made?

 

The first step in making a silicone involves isolating silicon from silica. The procedure is completed by heating quartz sand in large volumes and at extremely high temperatures, up to 1800°C. Silicon is then mixed with methyl chloride and once again, heated. Next is the distillation process which produces a polymerised siloxane known as polydimethylsiloxane.  Depending on the final product desired, this can now be transformed into different applications using a wide range of techniques. Because silicone is a synthetic polymer, it carries a structure that is similar to plastic and can be used as a material in toys, cosmetics, utensils, personal care items, and other products.

 

What Makes Silicone Eco Friendly?

 

Consumers are enticed with products made with silicone because of its different features. For one, it is totally flexible that it can’t be easily destroyed. Silicone is also durable as it can withstand extreme temperatures.

 

It doesn’t contain estrogen-mimicking chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), latex, lead, or phthalates. Because of this, silicone is considered safer for human health. Furthermore, silicone products are recyclable. It doesn’t decompose like plastic but is definitely more ocean-friendly.

 

ITPC Uses Platinum-Cured Silicone

 

One excellent type of silicone is a platinum cure. This two-component silicone features high tear strength and flexible mold or casting compound capacities. There are no peroxide residues formed during a platinum curing process. As a result, mold fouling issues are minimized. It is ideal for making molds for different applications. This kind of silicone is considered safe for the skin. That is why it is used in developing prosthetics for special effects makeup or medical training devices. Moreover, it is also “food safe” certified and can be used for various culinary applications.

At Innovative Technology Products Corp., all our products are made from the highest standards of pure platinum-cured silicone. No matter what item you put in our product, expect that its smell or flavor will never be impacted by the silicone material. Rest assured that everything we offer is 100% plastic-free. Browse our product selections today!

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