Getting Started in LSR: Understanding the Materials

摘要

Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) injection molding is a long established process but it is enjoying an upsurge in interest for medical, automotive, infant care, and general industrial applications. LSR is a thermoset that offers properties not obtainable with today's TPEs. LSR has attracted growing attention for its heat resistance, extreme low-temperature flexibility, chemical resistance, biological inertness, and inherent lubricity. And owing to the growing popularity of hard/soft overmolding, many thermoplastic molders are looking at LSR molding as a way to expand the scope of their business. Luckily, there are many similarities between LSR processing and that of thermoplastics. With the proper training and attention to the differences that do exist, many thermoplastic molders have made a successful transition to LSR.