Silicon & Elastomer Mixing
Silicone & Elastomer Mixing Solutions | Bubble-Free Elastomer Processing
High-performance silicone elastomers, liquid silicone rubbers (LSR), room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicones, and specialty fluoroelastomers demand flawless optical clarity, uniform Shore hardness, and high tear strength. Trapped micro-bubbles and filler agglomeration during compounding reduce dielectric breakdown voltage, create surface pitting, and cause structural tearing under cyclic tension.
Formulations & Elastomers Handled
Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR): Two-part (A/B) addition-cure and platinum-cure silicones for medical, optical, and automotive parts.
RTV & HTV Silicones: One-component and two-component Room-Temperature Vulcanizing sealants, gels, and High-Temperature Vulcanizing base compounds.
Specialty Elastomers: Fluoroelastomers (FKM/FFKM), polyurethane elastomers (TPU/CPU), polybutadiene, and synthetic nitrile rubbers.
Highly Filled Silicones: High-consistency formulations loaded with fumed silica, thermal conductive powders (alumina, boron nitride), or carbon black.
Industry Applications
Medical & Healthcare Devices: Implantable components, medical tubing, catheters, liquid-injection molded seals, and respiratory masks.
Automotive & Aerospace Sealing: High-temperature O-rings, formed-in-place gaskets (FIPG), spark plug boots, and vibration dampers.
Electronics Encapsulation & Optics: Optical LED encapsulants, high-voltage insulating boots, clear keypads, and thermal gap pads.
Consumer & Food-Contact Products: Baby bottle nipples, food-grade kitchenware, seals, and flexible wearable device straps.
Common Material Processing Challenges
Entrapped Micro-Bubbles & Surface Pitting: Viscous silicones trap tiny air pockets during degassing and component batching, leading to void defects, electrical tracking, and reduced tensile strength.
Premature Vulcanization in 2K Systems: Fast-reacting platinum-cure A/B systems start crosslinking quickly. Traditional high-shear mixers generate frictional heat that accelerates pot-life breakdown before complete degassing.
Fumed Silica & Filler Agglomeration: Low-density fumed silica and heavy thermal fillers form stubborn clumps, resulting in uneven durometer hardness and inconsistent thermal conductivity.
Excessive Material Waste & Cleanup: Sticky silicone gels cling to impeller blades and mixing shafts, leading to high solvent consumption, cross-contamination, and loss of expensive raw materials.
How Planetary Vacuum Mixers Solve These Issues
| Processing Challenge | Planetary Vacuum Mixer Solution | Technical Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Entrapped Micro-Bubbles | High-Vacuum Deaeration (-0.098 MPa) | Removes sub-micron air pockets completely, delivering crystal-clear optical transparency and high tear resistance. |
| Premature Vulcanization | Rapid Non-Contact Mixing (<3 Mins) | Blends A/B components homogeneously in minutes, preserving pot-life without generating friction heat. |
| Silica/Filler Clumping | High-G Dual Centrifugal Rotation | Disperses fumed silica and heavy metallic powders uniformly for consistent Shore hardness throughout the batch. |
| Cleaning & Material Waste | In-Container Mixing (No Blades) | Eliminates mixing blades entirely; mixes directly in batch cups or cartridges to cut cleaning time and material waste to zero. |
Test Your Material Before You Buy
Recommended Equipment
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Our programmable multi-step mixing cycles feature a initial low-speed "wetting" phase under atmospheric pressure. This thoroughly incorporates light fumed silica or carbon black powders into the liquid silicone base before drawing a deep vacuum, preventing dry powder carryover into the vacuum pump.
Yes. By combining high centrifugal G-forces with orbital rotation, viscous liquid silicones and heavy gum bases are continuously folded and sheared against the container walls. This processes ultra-high viscosities smoothly without relying on mechanical blades that can tear polymer chains.
Non-contact planetary rotation generates minimal frictional heat compared to high-speed impeller blades. Short cycle times (typically 1 to 3 minutes), combined with programmable speed controls and optional water-jacketed cooling adapters, keep batch temperatures well below the activation threshold of platinum catalysts.
