Why do silicone products become brittle?

With the widespread application of silicone materials, we will see more and more various silicone products in daily life. As a result, people‘s questions about it will also increase. Recently, many netizens have asked whether silicone products with high hardness will become brittle? The answer is affirmative. Why did this phenomenon occur? Here, the editor will summarize the specific reasons why silicone products become brittle.

1、 Silicone material. The inferior silicone material does not meet the performance standards in all aspects. For example, the most basic tear resistance and elasticity properties directly lead to the brittleness of silicone products. So when choosing a manufacturer, we should check their production qualifications and corresponding testing reports for silicone materials.

2、 The hardness of silicone products. After silicone products reach a Shore hardness of 60 degrees or above, their tear resistance and elasticity will decrease linearly, leading to the brittleness of silicone products. Most of the silicone products produced by our manufacturers have a hardness below 60 degrees on the Shore hardness scale, except for silicone buttons and some special products requested by customers.

3、 Environment and duration of use. During use, if the ambient temperature is too low, the usage time is too long (such as frequent use for several years), and the environment is too humid, it will accelerate the aging rate of silicone products and cause aging phenomena. Brittle is one of its aging phenomena. Especially for silicone products for infants and children, we must clean and disinfect them promptly after use. It should be stored in a ventilated and cool place, avoiding direct sunlight.

4、 Some mistakes during the production process. Unreasonable mold design structure can lead to various problems in the production process, such as mold fracturing and brittle finished products. During the processing of silicone products, if the machine temperature is too low, the heating time is too long, and the secondary vulcanization time is too long, it will cause the silicone products to become brittle easily.