Momentive introduces UV cured silicone rubber

ERJ staff report (RD)

Albany, New York - Momentive Performance Materials has launched a new family of elastomer products that can be cured by exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) light, the company said in a recent press release.

According to Momentive, the new material family combines high extrusion speed with high dimensional stability, parts without air entrapment and has “typical silicone rubber properties.”

The new UV-sensitive, platinum catalyzed curing system allows curing at room temperature, Momentive said, compared to typical vulcanisation with peroxide catalyst cured by heat exposure.

The company also pointed out that over the past decade the demand for silicone elastomers has “grown steadily” as the market shifted to the use of silicone as a replacement for other organic materials. UV cure technology, the company said, can help provide energy savings and increased extrusion speed while maintaining the physical properties of silicone elastomers.

In terms of exposure time, Momentive said the cure can be as short as 0.5 seconds, depending on the speed of the line and UV intensity. And, as the cure is initiated through UV radiation, the speed of the cure is independent of the diameter and the cross-section of the extruded tube or profile, which “allows high-speed extrusion without the risk of under-curing,” the company said.

“Together with our industry partners, we have introduced a new approach that does not require long heating tunnels,” said Holger Albrecht, global marketing manager for Momentive. “A small UV unit is sufficient for a high output in a small space,” he said, adding, “Based on this technology, the development of complex profiles and co-extrusion parts is now possible.” (RD)

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Press release from Momentive Performance Materials