About Wacker Chemie
Wacker Chemie AG, a multinational chemical company headquartered in Germany, was established in 1914 by Alexander Wacker. With the Wacker family holding over 50 percent of the shares, the company remains under their control. Operating across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, Wacker Chemie AG manages a network of over 25 production sites.
Their diverse product portfolio encompasses silicone rubbers, polymer products such as ethylene vinyl acetate re-dispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon, and wafers utilized in the semiconductor industry. Wacker Chemie AG’s products are distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide.
WACKER silicones are versatile silicones used in various production processes. With their exceptional chemical and physical properties, silicones surpass all other polymers, opening up limitless opportunities for design and engineering.
WACKER silicones provide outstanding performance characteristics, including:
- Excellent resistance to heat and low temperatures.
- Exceptional durability.
- UV resistance.
- Functionality as sealants, insulators, lubricants, and release agents.
- Water repellency.
A1 Silicones provides Wacker silicone products around the globe, a leading company in the field of silicone. With years of experience, A1 Silicone has built a reputation and trust in providing genuine silicone products. We are committed to providing our customers with high-quality products that meet international standards. If you are looking for quality and reliable silicone products, contact us at A1 Silicones.
Product Group provided by A1 Silicones
Silicone Elastomers & Silicone Emulsions
Linear Silicone Fluids
Silicone fluids offer significant advantages, primarily due to their exceptional thermal and thermo-oxidative resistance. These fluids exhibit resistance to temperatures ranging from -60 to +300°C, surpassing the stability of organic polymers against electromagnetic and particle radiation such as UV, alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Additionally, silicone fluids possess numerous other benefits, making them highly advantageous.
The advantages and application areas of silicone fluids are as follows:
- Extremely low volatility
- Excellent shear stability
- Low surface tension
- Optimum water repellency
These properties render silicone fluids ideal for various applications, including:
- Hydraulic and transformer fluids
- Damping fluids
- Diffusion pump fluids
- Heat-resistant lubricants
- Dielectrics
- Defoamers
- Release agents for high-performance digital printing machines
- Furthermore, silicone fluids find utility in the water-repellent treatment of glass and mineral wool, as well as in diverse applications within the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and textile industries.
Silicone Fluid Emulsions
Silicone fluids are commonly employed in the form of aqueous emulsions, which can be easily diluted with water. This characteristic enables the uniform distribution of small amounts of the substance onto various substrates.
There are two main types of silicone emulsions:
Macroemulsions: These exhibit particle sizes ranging from 100 nm to several μm and typically appear opaque, resembling a milky texture.
Microemulsions: Characterized by particle sizes below 100 nm, these emulsions usually appear clear or opalescent.
To maintain the stability of silicone emulsions, surfactants (emulsifiers) are employed to cover the surfaces of the fluid droplets. The emulsifiers possess lipophilic (oil-loving) ends, which orient themselves towards the oil droplets, while the hydrophilic (water-loving) centers facilitate solubility in water.
Silicone emulsions find wide-ranging applications in the textiles, cosmetics, and household care industries. In shampoos, they serve as components that impart a silky softness to hair, making it easier to comb after washing. Additionally, silicone emulsions are utilized as water-repellent agents to protect textiles, building materials, and insulation materials from water and moisture.
Silicone Pastes
Silicone pastes offer a wide range of applications due to their fundamental properties, including water resistance, excellent lubricity, and effective electrical insulation. These pastes maintain their specific properties for up to 12 months.
Lubrication and Assembly
Silicone pastes possess essential properties that make them suitable for diverse applications:
- Non-hardening: They do not harden and remain unaffected by temperature variations.
- Water and oxidation resistance: They are highly durable, creating protective layers on various surfaces and offering resistance against water, repellency, and oxidation.
- Odorless and non-toxic: Silicone pastes have a low toxicity level, are odorless, and exhibit radiation resistance of approximately 106 rad. They are inert to numerous chemicals and resistant to microorganisms.
- Adhesion and lubricity: They readily adhere to different surfaces and provide excellent lubrication for plastic-to-plastic or plastic-to-metal pairings.
- Release properties: They facilitate easy release from various elastomers and plastics.
- Electrical insulation: Silicone pastes guarantee effective electrical insulation, possessing high breakdown strength, a high dielectric constant, and a low loss factor.
- Long-term stability: They exhibit exceptional storage stability, with specific properties remaining functional for up to 12 months and general properties lasting for several years.
- Silicone pastes are utilized in various applications, including lubrication, assembly assistance, both in technical and food-contact applications, sealing aids for disassemblable parts and connections, and as release agents in high-temperature environments.
Silicone Rubbers
Silicone rubbers are distinguished by their remarkable properties, including:
- Exceptional low-temperature flexibility and high-temperature resistance.
- Excellent compression set, ensuring optimal shape retention under pressure.
- High resistance to chemicals and environmental factors, making them highly durable.
- Water-repellent surface, providing protection against moisture.
- High transparency, allowing for versatile pigmentation options.
- Good mechanical properties, contributing to their strength and durability.
- Good flame resistance, with non-toxic combustion by-products in the event of a fire.
- Neutral taste and odor, ensuring no impact on sensory experiences.
- Easy to process, facilitating manufacturing and shaping.
- Adjustable from electrically insulating to semiconducting properties, offering versatile applications.
- Good radiation resistance, maintaining stability when exposed to radiation.
- Silicone rubbers possess this unique combination of properties, making them suitable for a wide range of applications in various industries.
ELASTOSIL® LR liquid silicone rubber products are formulated as two-part silicone rubber grades specifically designed for injection molding on fully automated machines, eliminating the need for additional post-processing. These grades typically utilize platinum-curing technology and undergo vulcanization under heat and pressure. Typically, the A component of the product contains the platinum catalyst, while the B component comprises the crosslinker. These liquid silicone rubber products are highly suitable for high-volume production, contributing to cost-effectiveness by keeping unit costs low
Application
- Automotive
- Mechanical and plant engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Transmission and distribution cables (T&D)
- Construction
- Consumer goods and food industry
- Healthcare and medical technology
- In automotive applications, we provide the ELASTOSIL® FLR series of liquid silicone rubber grades, specially formulated with fluorinated properties. These grades exhibit exceptional stability when exposed to aggressive substances like gasoline, engine oils, and gear oils. They are primarily utilized in the production of seals for the automotive and aerospace industries.
Room-Temperature-Vulcanizing Silicone Rubber (RTV-1/RTV-2)
WACKER has established itself as a leading expert in room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber compounds. This area of expertise represents a long-standing strength of our company. Our extensive range of ready-to-use products caters to various applications such as bonding, sealing, potting, encapsulation, coating, and casting.
In addition to our comprehensive product range, WACKER possesses extensive knowledge and experience in processing techniques and material requirements specific to these applications. Whether it’s small do-it-yourself (DIY) projects or large-scale industrial production lines, we have the expertise to meet the diverse needs of our customers.
HCR is used in a diverse range of applications across all kinds of industries:
- Automotive and aerospace
- Electrical engineering
- Transmission and distribution cables (T&D)
- Construction
- Mechanical and plant engineering
- Consumer goods and the food industry
- Healthcare and medical technology
Above are all Wacker silicone products that A1 Silicones provides. Contact A1 Silicones for advice