Understanding Silicone:
Your Questions Answered
We answered frequently asked questions that you asked. This page serves only to clarify common queries regarding silicone, its production, and safety. Explore the essentials of silicone as we address your concerns and provide insight into this material.
Who makes silicone?
Various global manufacturers make silicone, each with their own specializations. At Dabojin Silicone Manufactory, we’re experts in crafting, customized silicone solutions like products and parts. It’s key to remember that silicone and rubber aren’t the same; silicone is synthetic and known for its flexibility and heat resistance.
Silicone’s Origin: Silicone comes from silicon, which is abundant in nature as silica (SiO2) in sand and quartz. The transformation from silicon to silicone involves multiple industrial steps.
Silicon Extraction: Silicon is obtained from silica sand or quartz using carbothermic reduction. Here, silica is heated with carbon in an electric arc furnace at around 2000°C, resulting in metallurgical-grade silicon.
Making Silicone from Silicon: The silicon is further purified to electronic-grade levels, with 99.9999% purity or higher. It’s then reacted with methyl chloride (CH3Cl) in the Müller-Rochow process, producing various silanes and siloxanes.
Polymerization Process: Silanes and siloxanes undergo further processing with catalysts to create different silicone polymers. This can result in various forms like silicone rubber, oil, resin, or grease, depending on the manufacturing conditions.
Formulating Different Silicone Products: Additives, fillers, and catalysts can be added during or after polymerization to create silicone products with specific properties. This is crucial for achieving desired characteristics like thermal stability, color, hardness, or elasticity.
Is silicone made of plastic?
No, silicone and plastic are distinct materials, each with its own set of properties.
Silicone: Comes from silica, found in sand or quartz. Transforms into a flexible, heat-resistant material through chemical processes. Known for durability, non-reactivity, and flexibility.
Plastic: Comes from petrochemicals, but bioplastics come from plant materials.
So it can be shaped into various forms and has many uses. Properties also can differ a lot depending on the type. Generally, less heat-resistant than silicone and may react with some chemicals. And also has a big impact on the environment. Silicone is often a better choice than plastic for high-temperature or medical uses due to its unique features and, of course, for the environment.
Silicone making process
Okay, let’s break it down. You know that sandy beach you love? Well, that’s where silicone starts its journey. It comes from silica, found in good ol’ sand and quartz.
Step one, we (our supplier) heat that silica with carbon in a furnace. Boom! We get silicon metal. But we’re not stopping there.
Next, we get a little chemistry magic going. That silicon metal reacts with methyl chloride, and, we’ve got ourselves some silanes and siloxanes.
Now, it’s time to turn those into silicone polymers. Think of it as the dough for making all kinds of silicone goodies. That’s what we call polymerization.
But we don’t stop at polymers. Additional materials are introduced to create specific types of silicone. And, that’s how we get all sorts of silicone types—rubber, resin, you name it.
Finally, we get to the fun part. We shape this silicone into whatever your heart desires. Could be anything from kitchenware to car parts. And that’s our specialty right here at Dabojin Silicone Manufacture. We turn silicone into the final product or parts you need for your project.
Does silicone produce microplastics?
Alright, let’s get one thing straight: silicone is tougher than plastics, no doubt. But it’s not some indestructible superhero material. Just like everything else in the universe, it has an expiration date. Give it enough time and rough handling, and it’ll break down into tiny bits.
Now, speaking of tiny bits—ever heard of microplastics? Yeah, they’re the environmental villains you don’t want in your water or food chain. Bad for the critters, bad for us.
So, is silicone the eco-hero we’ve been waiting for? Well, it’s complicated. It’s got a longer shelf-life and you can reuse it, which is a win for Team Earth. But here’s the kicker: you’ve got to be smart about it. Choose quality stuff and don’t just toss it when you’re done. Recycle it, for heaven’s sake!
To sum it all up, if you’re an eco-warrior at heart, silicone’s your guy. But don’t get too comfy—there’s no such thing as a free pass when it comes to Mother Earth. We’ve all got to do our part, right?
Manufacturing silicone products
Silicone products are made differently depending on their applications. For example, at Dabojin, we offer silicone compression molding, silicone injection molding, die-cutting, over-molding, and CNC making services. Each of these services serves a different purpose for silicone products. But let’s assume that you already know that and want to understand the process. Here, I will break it down into six steps:
First Step - Collaboration
This is where we collaborate to discuss and shape the initial concept of the product.
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Second Step - Design
Then, our designers use their expertise to work on the concept and make sure it's practical.
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Third Step - Prototype
After the design is ready, we create a prototype for testing.
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Fourth Step - Production
Once the prototype is approved, we start manufacturing the final product.
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Fifth Step - Quality Control
Before shipping, we check the product to ensure it meets our standards.
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Sixth Step - Final Delivery
The last step is delivering the finished product to you.
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What silicone made of?
Silicone is primarily made from silica, derived from sand or quartz.
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