Silicone elastomers, sometimes incorrectly known as silicone rubbers, are silicon-based polymers that have been vulcanized. They offer unique performance characteristics such as serviceability over a wide temperature range of -150°F to above +500°F and are readily available in a variety of forms such as solids, open cell foams, closed cell sponges, and are thermally and electrically conductive. Some of the common uses of silicones are as adhesives, sealants, and coatings.
Although silicone elastomers exist in transparent liquid silicone rubber and moldable silicone grades, the moldable silicones are more advanced materials used for LED lamps and luminary applications as they efficiently transmit light into desired shapes and patterns. These offer benefits such as optical performance, processing capability, environmental stability and design flexibility. Exhibit 1 shows the global silicones market, based on the region and it shows that the market is primarily driven by China. Demand mainly comes from applications such as high power and high-performance lighting lenses, e.g. street, stadium and display lighting lenses. Growth for silicone elastomers also comes from hybrids with polyethylene for building construction and acrylics in personal care and cosmetics.
Exhibit 1: 2018 Global silicones demand, by region
– Uday Turaga and Panuswee Dwivedi
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