Appliance Design - May 2008 - (Page 24)

ELASTOMERS Simply Silicone The transparency and heat resistance properties of silicone make the material a candidate for use as LED covers, light pipes, and similar applications. Photo: Dow Corning Improved products and fabrication methods make this material more useable. S by larry adams 24 applianceDESIGN May 2008 ilicone elastomers are extremely versatile materials that offer a range of attractive performance characteristics, often outperforming their TPE cousins. They work well in extreme cold and high heat temperatures, are chemical resistant, and can be customized with a variety of unique properties. Combine this with tactile characteristics that range from soft to tacky to hard, and designers are given a plethora of options. Various grades of purified silicone materials can also be used in regulated applications such as foodservice appliances and medical devices. So, if silicones are so great, why isn’t everyone using them? A simple answer is cost. The cost of silicone elastomers can be several times more expensive than conventional TPEs. The material, with the consistency of taffy, has been difficult to work with, especially as compared to fabricating with other TPEs. When considering whether to use silicone elastomer, designers have always faced a cost versus performance tradeoff. Does that gasket or seal, pushbutton or knob, need to be made from silicone elastomer? But, things are changing. Cost is still an issue – some silicone elastomers are still four times the cost of less expensive TPEs – but new production techniques are being introduced that are helping to reduce cost. And, at the same time, a new range of silicone elastomers are hitting the market that are less costly and have even better performance characteristics than their predecessors. The future, as they say, looks bright for silicone elastomers. Literally. One of the newest applications for silicone elastomers is in the arena of LEDs. Mike DiPino, Senior Specialist in Silicone Elastomers, Dow Corning, Midland, Mich., cited LED covers as one new application for silicone elastomers. That thought was echoed by David Wolgemuth, a multi-shot liquid silicone rubber engineer with Phillips Plastics Corp. of Prescott, Wis., who pointed to LEDs as a new application area. “The silicone has great heat resistance and also light pipes really well, and so it is good in the use of LEDs. It can typically be mounted right onto a circuit board,” he says. Phillips Plastics is one of a handful of www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - May 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch New and Notable Displays & Indicators Elastomers Quality & Standards Indoor Air Quality IHHS Highlights New Products Classifieds Design Marts Advertiser’s Index Association Report: PSMA

Appliance Design - May 2008

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