The rubber mixer manufacturer tells you the difference between rubber and silicone
Rubber is divided into natural rubber and synthetic rubber. The structure of natural rubber is a high polymer of isoprene, while synthetic rubber such as butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butadiene styrene rubber, etc. Silicone, as a type of rubber, has characteristics such as high and low temperature resistance, weather resistance, ozone resistance, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Silicone and rubber cannot be said to be better, it can only be said to be applied in the appropriate aspects. Below is a detailed introduction to the differences between silicone and rubber.
The difference between rubber and silicone
Rubber is divided into natural rubber and synthetic rubber. The structure of natural rubber is a high polymer of isoprene, while synthetic rubber such as butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butadiene styrene rubber, etc. When cross-linked rubber undergoes deformation under external forces, it has the ability to quickly recover and has good physical and mechanical properties and chemical stability.
The main component of silicone rubber is high molar mass linear polysiloxane. Due to the fact that Si-O-Si bonds are the basic bond type of silicone rubber, silicon atoms mainly connect to methyl groups, and a very small amount of unsaturated groups are introduced on the side chains. The intermolecular forces are small, and the molecules have a helical structure. The methyl groups are arranged outward and can rotate freely. Therefore, after vulcanization, silicone rubber has excellent high and low temperature resistance (-100~315 ℃), weather resistance, hydrophobicity, electrical insulation, physiological inertness, and other characteristics. It is widely used in national defense, military industry, medical health, and other fields It has been widely used in industrial and agricultural production, as well as in people's daily lives. The most important thing is that it is non-toxic, as silicone rubber is commonly used in products such as pacifiers.
1. The two have different definitions. Rubber is a general term that includes many types, such as natural rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, propylene rubber, and of course, silicone rubber; Silicone is one of the specific varieties in rubber.
2. Rubber has a wide range of uses, mainly utilizing its elastic properties, such as rubber tires, bridge shock absorbers, rubber hoses, and rollers, mainly used in industrial applications; Silicone is mostly used in food and household appliances, such as pacifiers, children's spoons, voltage cooker seals, etc.
3. The application of different types and grades of rubber varies, for example, natural rubber is mainly used for tires, butyl rubber is mainly used for inner tubes, and EPDM rubber is used for sealing products.
4. When selecting rubber, specific performance indicators such as hardness, tensile strength, compression deformation, wear, tear, and usage environment need to be considered. From their properties, we can see that silicone rubber has unparalleled advantages over ordinary rubber. The price of silicone rubber is more expensive, and which one is better depends on our use. If ordinary rubber products can meet our needs, there is no need to use silicone with better performance and higher price.
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