Wacker presenting new flame-retardant silicones at K

Munich, Germany - Wacker Chemie AG will be presenting a new flame-retardant solid silicone rubber for the rail industry at K 2019, to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, next month.

Elastosil R 771, available since 2018, meets the fire-safety codes applicable for all rolling stock in the EU, said a Wacker pre-K statement.

The new solid silicone enables manufacturers to produce rolling-stock components compliant with the R1 requirement set of the European fire-safety standard EN 45545-2, which came into effect across Europe last year.

According to the German material supplier, Wacker’s existing product portfolio, including liquid and solid silicone rubbers, already certified for a large portion of the applications mentioned in EN 45545-2.

However, the new grade was specifically developed to allow manufacturers to produce large-format bellows and profiles in compliance with the new fire-safety codes.

Silicone elastomers are inherently fire-resistant and generate no toxic soot in case of a fire. They are also halogen-free, and therefore emit no hydrogen chloride when they burn.

Due to their low “smoke toxicity”, silicones are increasingly used to deliver maximum safety, Wacker noted.

Wacker expects the product to be also used in the construction segment, where EU fire-safety codes are becoming increasingly stricter.

The product, said Wacker, is especially suitable for use in parts of the building that are highly exposed to fires such as fire curtains, insulation, and seals for windows and doors.