What is silicone oil and what is its use? In what industries is silicone oil used? Silicone oil is classified as a lubricant and is a clear liquid at room temperature. Silicone oil has good thermal stability and has many uses in various commercial and industrial applications. Stay with us until the end of the article for more applications and main specifications of silicone oil.
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What is silicone oil?
Silicone oil consists of alternating oxygen and silicon atoms and is non-toxic, non-flammable and fire resistant.
Silicone oil or silicone lubricant is a material made of synthetic polymer materials and has many applications in various industries. Silicone oil has a clear color and is used for cleaning and lubrication. Since this oil is widely used for treadmill lubrication, it is also known as treadmill silicone oil. Also, silicone oil is used to store food, bottles and cans, produce food paper coating and food packaging.
Technical specifications of silicone oil
| name of the material: | Silicone oil |
| Appearance: | Colorless |
| molecular formula: | C6H18OSi2 |
| Molecular weight: | 38g/mol |
| Melting point: | -50 ͦC |
| Solubility in water: | insoluble |
Types of silicone oil
Silicone oil has different types due to the difference in linear chain length, chemical structure, molecular weight and concentration, and these differences have different chemical and physical properties. Silicone oil has different concentrations, such as silicone oil 1000 and silicone oil 350, etc., which fall into the following categories.
- 100 concentration
- 350 concentration
- 1000 concentration
- 12500 concentration
- 60,000 concentration
Properties of silicone oil
- flexibility
- Low surface tension
- Good thermal insulation
- Has water repellency
- Silicone oil is non-flammable.
- This oil has a low vapor pressure.
- This oil does not freeze at temperatures below zero.
- Silicone oil does not evaporate if used repeatedly.
- Unlike other chemicals, silicone oil does not have a specific smell.
- This material has anti-stick properties and has glue-like properties.
- Silicone oil is resistant to heat due to its high boiling point.
- Due to testing at different temperatures and frequencies, this oil is known as a good dielectric agent.
- This functional oil is anti-dust and is a suitable option for cleaning mechanical devices.
- The high boiling point is one of the characteristics of this oil, and the boiling point of this substance is more than 140 degrees Celsius / 0.002 mm of mercury.
- Silicone oil does not cause foaming and bubbles in case of high mechanical activity, which is why it is used in the food service industry and it is known as an antifoam material.
- No toxic substances are used in the main ingredients of silicone oil, but it may cause temporary eye irritation when it comes into contact with the eyes.
Applications of silicone oil
- Making polish
- making wax
- Food industry
- Concrete additive
- Construction and production of pipes and hoses
- Cosmetic Products
- Lubrication of medical instruments
- Paint and coating production
- Lubrication in woodworking
- It can be used in the fermentation process of Delaster
- Painting industries
- Making lubricating sprays
- Soft work finishing in textile
- Can be used in waterproof cameras
- Rubber and plastic industries
- To treat muscle cramps
- As a coolant in cooling devices
- Silicone oil can be used in the production of anti-rust solutions.
- This material is used to cool the fan clutch assembly.
- Building exterior cleaning such as (propeller trowel, trowel, asphalt cutter, concrete cutter and roller)
- can be used in the laboratory (as a neutral substance in chemical reaction and macromolecule separation)
- This oil is used in the aerospace industry for hydraulic oil (due to its anti-cutting properties).
- Medical industry (it replaces the vitreous fluid during surgery and is also used for eye treatment)
- This oil acts as a protective layer in skin care products and prevents skin dryness.
- Silicone oil can be used in anti-bloating medicines and reduces gas in the digestive system.
- For lubrication and cleaning of agricultural tools such as (chain saw, lawn mower, motor hole digger, pruner, boxwood cutter, rotivator, plow, garden shears and grass cutter)
- In restaurants and hotels, they add a little of this substance to cooking oil to prevent the oil from getting dirty and splattering, but too much of it is definitely toxic.
- Silicone oil is a substance used to maintain surgical instruments.
- Silicone oil is used as lubricant, thermal fluid and hydraulic fluid for treadmills and industrial machines.
- It can be used in the production of skin creams to relieve burns. Also, using it in skin products makes the skin whiter, increases softness, increases permeability, creates gloss, protects the skin from sunlight, and eliminates bacteria.
The basic structure of silicone oil
The structure of silicone oil consists of oxygen and silicon atoms. Also, this oil consists of linear repeating chains of oxygen and silicon, and each silicon atom has two carbon-based substituents.
In a polymer chain, the number of repetitions of siloxane groups can be changed from a few units to several thousand.
Silicone oil compounds
Silicone oil can be used raw or mixed with other materials to make and produce emulsions and polymers. The compounds considered with silicone oil are divided into the following categories, but these compounds differ from each other in terms of viscosity and color.
- Silicone hydrogen oil
- Methylphenyl silicone oil
- Hydroxysilicone oil
- Amino silicone oil
- Silicone vinyl oil
Silicone oil solvent
Lower viscosity silicone oil than its higher viscosity grades makes it easier to dissolve in a solvent. Due to the different degree of solubility of this oil, keep the necessary tests in mind.
Also, the degree of toxicity and flammability of this material is one of the other important things to consider. Chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene; Methylene chloride and perchloroethylene are among the best solvents for this oil.
Risks and complications of silicone oil
- Regarding the harmfulness of silicone oil, researchers believe that physiologically this substance is not dangerous for humans and animals, but recently they have published theories regarding the dangers of this substance.
- Polydimethylsiloxane causes mild epilepsy and central nervous system disorders.
- If the silicone comes into contact with the eyes, it will cause eye irritation and inflammation, and to remove the eye irritation, wash the eyes for 10 minutes. If you have contact lenses in your eyes, remove them immediately.
- Silicone oil may cause skin irritation, if this happens, wash the skin with water.
- Research has shown that this substance is generally not toxic, but one should try to be less exposed to this substance.
- This substance should be stored in sealed containers.
- No smoking should be done in silicone oil storage warehouses.
- Work with silicone oil outdoors.
- If this substance is inhaled, it will cause dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and drowsiness, leave the environment immediately after inhaling this substance.
- This substance is dangerous for aquatic animals, never leave it in the environment.
Replace silicone oil
Due to the mistrust of cosmetic product manufacturers in silicone oil and its harmful effects on the environment, they are trying to replace this material with other materials. Two alternative substances for silicone oil are dimethicone and polydimethylsiloxane, which are safer than silicone oil.