Listen to this articleSilicone is a synthetic material comprised of chemical additives from fossil fuels. Silicone, also known as siloxane, is a hybrid mix of rubber and plastic polymers. It is a material that can take on many forms and similarities. Silicone can be malleable like rubber, hard like plastic, and thick like spreads. Because of its many forms and properties (flexible, water-resistant, and temperature resistant), this plastic-like material has been incorporated into industries such as those listed below:
Aviation and Aerospace
Silicones are designed to handle a great deal of stress while remaining strong in all temperatures making it a great material to incorporate into the aviation and aerospace industries. Often used in the form of adhesives and sealants, silicones are widely used to help assemble, repair, and maintain airplanes, helicopters, and spaceships. From the doors and windows to electrical wires and black boxes, silicones have helped aviation and aerospace industries to build durable, reliable, and safe products that can withstand the test of time.
Beauty and Skincare Industries
There are a lot of properties in silicones that prompt beauty and skincare brands to incorporate this ingredient into their products and services. For deodorants, for example, silicones help to reduce the amount of white residue that gets onto your clothes. This material is also responsible for helping products from lipsticks and nail polish to shampoos and conditioners retain their color and luster for so long. Its spreadable properties make it ideal for use in the application of cleansers, cosmetics, lotions, and even sunscreen.
Jewelry Industry
From silicone wristbands to silicone wedding bands, this synthetic material has found its way into the jewelry industry – and for good cause. The material has not only made it easier for jewelry makers to create beautiful pieces but has helped to simplify the production process. When creating jewelry molds, utilizing silicone versus natural plastic has proven to be beneficial to jewelry makers saving them time, money, and energy. On the other end of advantages, silicone jewelry is a lot more affordable, while still being trendy, customizable, durable, and safe for consumers.
Construction Industry
Silicones have also changed construction industries for the better. From sealings to coatings, silicone helps construction workers to build structures that are more durable, safe, and long-lasting. It is the silicone sealants that help construction materials from homes, office buildings, and stores to bond together despite the outside temperature or conditions. Because silicone can help to bond together various building materials from concrete to glass, even the aesthetic appeal and design like glass facades or suspended structures are driven by the use of silicones.
Healthcare Industry
As if the above-mentioned uses of silicone across the world weren’t impressive enough, silicone has also been integrated into the healthcare industry. Silicones are bacteria-resistant, they do not react negatively to other materials, they do not cause bodily irritations, and they don’t trigger allergic reactions. For these reasons and more, there has been an increase in the number of medical products on the market today that were designed using silicone components. From the tubing used for IVs and bloodwork to topical solutions and creams, silicone is helping medical facilities to provide healthy, safer, and higher-quality products for better patient experience with fewer setbacks and risks.
Home/Kitchenware Industry
Some of the top kitchenware products on the market to date are there in part, because of silicone. Silicone is durable, flexible, non-absorbant, easy to clean, and non-stick, all of which can be used to describe some of the best pots, pans, food storage containers, and molds available today. Not only that, but its temperature resistance makes it ideal for going from the oven to the counter to the freezer and into the microwave without an issue.
Sports and Fitness Industry
Thanks to silicones the sportswear and fitness industries are also greatly improved. Again, being water-resistant, temperature-resistant, durable, flexible, lightweight, and safe, silicone has been incorporated into many products in the sports and/or fitness industries. From advanced swimming goggles and waterproof watches to wearable technologies and more, silicone is enhancing the performance of athletes and fitness enthusiasts at all levels.
The various structures people enter every day, their means of transportation, the clothes, shoes, and jewelry they prefer to the many products and services they use on a daily basis, the use of a synthetic material such as silicone has impacted businesses of all facets across the globe. As you can see from above, its many properties and safety features make it a choice that will continue to drive innovations for decades to come.
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