Editing Silicone (section)

== Properties ==
[[File:Silicone Chessboard Folded.jpg|thumb|This silicone rubber folding chessboard resists creasing and wrinkling.]]

Silicones exhibit many useful characteristics, including:<ref name=Ullmann>{{Ullmann|first1=Hans-Heinrich|last1=Moretto|first2=Manfred|last2=Schulze|first3=Gebhard|last3=Wagner|year=2005|title=Silicones|doi=10.1002/14356007.a24_057}}</ref>

* Low [[thermal conductivity]]
* Low chemical reactivity
* Low [[toxicity]]
* Thermal stability (constancy of properties over a wide temperature range of {{nowrap|−100 to 250 °C}})
* The ability to repel water and form watertight seals.
* Does not stick to many substrates, but adheres very well to others, e.g. glass
* Does not support [[microbe|microbiological]] growth
* Resistance to creasing and wrinkling
* Resistance to oxygen, ozone, and [[ultraviolet|ultraviolet (UV) light]]. This property has led to the widespread use of silicones in the construction industry (e.g. coatings, fire protection, glazing seals) and the [[automotive industry]] (external gaskets, external trim).
* [[Electrical insulation]] properties. Because silicone can be formulated to be electrically insulative or conductive, it is suitable for a wide range of electrical applications.
* High [[Permeation|gas permeability]]: at room temperature (25&nbsp;°C), the permeability of [[silicone rubber]] for such gases as oxygen is approximately 400 times<ref>{{Citation|title=Treeing Characteristics in HTV Silicone Rubber|date=2020|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-8885-6.ch003|work=Electrical Insulation Breakdown and Its Theory, Process, and Prevention|series=Advances in Computer and Electrical Engineering|pages=73–104|publisher=IGI Global|doi=10.4018/978-1-5225-8885-6.ch003|isbn=978-1-5225-8885-6|s2cid=241551199|access-date=2021-03-16}}</ref> that of [[butyl rubber]], making silicone useful for medical applications in which increased aeration is desired.  Conversely, silicone rubbers cannot be used where gas-tight seals are necessary such as seals for high-pressure gasses or high vacuum.

Silicone can be developed into rubber sheeting, where it has other properties, such as being FDA compliant. This extends the uses of silicone sheeting to industries that demand hygiene, for example, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals.