Silicones In Medical Electronics

Silicone materials are supplied in a variety of forms, including fluids, adhesives, gels and elastomers.
The basic formulation component of each material is the silicone polymer. Silicone polymers are a repeating chain of bonded silicon and oxygen atoms that easily rotate about those bonds. It is the flexible nature of the siloxane bond that provides benefits to virtually all silicone based materials.

Curable silicones, adhesives, gels and elastomers also contain reinforcing fillers, reactive crosslinker siloxane polymers, catalysts and inhibitors that control the rate of reaction.
The benefits of silicones for electronic applications are twofold:
they resist thermal degradation and can incorporate large amounts of functional fillers while retaining elastomeric properties. By virtue of how these materials are manufactured, silicones contain low levels of ionic species and their physical properties tend towards high dielectric strength (typically 500 to 900 volts per mil). Silicones, unless modified to do otherwise, do not effectively conduct thermal energy or electricity.

en savoir plus : European Med-Tech News: January/February