As a key additive in silicone rubber, linear hydroxyl silicone oil plays an important role in the entire process of material preparation. During the mixing stage, its hydroxyl groups chemically bond with the active groups on the surface of fillers such as white carbon black, forming a molecular layer encapsulation that significantly improves the interfacial affinity between fillers and silicone rubber raw rubber. This function effectively suppresses the "structuring" phenomenon of the mixed rubber during storage, ensuring that the rubber material maintains good plasticity and recycling performance during processing. In addition, low viscosity hydroxy silicone oil promotes filler dispersion and reduces mixing energy consumption due to its low surface tension characteristics, while extending the storage period of the rubber material, greatly optimizing the production process.

In terms of performance improvement, linear hydroxyl silicone oil enhances the comprehensive performance of silicone rubber through multiple mechanisms. The high bond energy of Si-O-Si bonds endows silicone rubber with excellent heat resistance, while hydroxyl silicone oil, as a plasticizer, can reduce hardness while maintaining elastic modulus, achieving a balance between flexibility and mechanical strength. In addition, by adjusting the polarity of the molecular chain, silicone rubber can also obtain anti-static properties to meet specific requirements such as electronic component packaging.

There are various preparation processes for linear hydroxy silicone oil, including silane hydrolysis method, cyclic siloxane ring opening method, and silicone rubber degradation method. Among them, the cyclic siloxane ring opening method uses octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane or hexamethylcyclotriosiloxane as raw materials, and under the action of a catalyst, ring opening polymerization can be carried out to produce low viscosity hydroxy silicone oil products. With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, green preparation methods such as membrane separation and purification technology are gradually being applied in the production of hydroxyl silicone oil.

In application scenarios, linear hydroxyl silicone oil has demonstrated a wide range of applicability. As the base rubber of room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber, it has good tensile strength and elongation at break after curing, and is widely used in fields such as building joint sealing and electronic component sealing. Adding an appropriate amount of hydroxyl silicone oil to high-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber can significantly improve filler dispersion, shorten vulcanization time, and reduce the compression set rate of the product. In addition, by introducing other functional groups, hydroxyl silicone oil products with special functions can be developed, such as improving tear strength or reducing fabric friction coefficient.

Currently, the technological development of linear hydroxyl silicone oil is moving towards environmental protection, high performance, and composite functionalization. With the breakthrough of green preparation technology and the development of functional products, the market value of hydroxyl silicone oil is expected to be further released, helping the silicone rubber industry develop towards high-end and refined direction. Looking ahead, linear hydroxyl silicone oil will continue to play an important role in the field of silicone rubber, promoting the continuous improvement of material properties and the continuous expansion of application areas.

Regarding liquid silicone rubber, please refer to our website for details: IOTA Liquid Silicone Rubber