Silicone is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under polymers: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare Silicone with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: Silicone
Silicone ([R2SiO]n) is a family of grades whose density ~1.1–1.5 g/cm³, heat band elastomer; resins cure, and fire letter often high LOI vs organic rubbers.
What “the material” actually is
Silicone is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry [R2SiO]n, density ~1.1–1.5 g/cm³, heat band elastomer; resins cure.
This atlas treats Silicone as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Heat, fire and insulation
Conductivity note: ~0.2 W/m·K; filled greases conduct. Insulation score 42/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win.
Fire letter in editorial use: often high LOI vs organic rubbers. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.
How it is made and used
Origin: Kipping / Rochow 1940s, United Kingdom / US. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install.
Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: rubber.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 40/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
Related atlas
Around Silicone
Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Silicone honest.
Circularity mark 40/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
elastomer; resins cure
What should it be paired with?
rubber: The carbon-chain tyre elastomer.
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
Eugene Rochow
United States · 1940
Eugene Rochow is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
Dow Corning
United States · 1943
Dow Corning is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
Muffin pan
Global · 1990s–
Muffin pan is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
4
Façade sealant
Global · 1970s–
Façade sealant is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
Baby teat
Global · 1980s–
Baby teat is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
Space gasket lore
United States · 1960s
Space gasket lore is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
Thermal paste
Global · 1990s–
Thermal paste is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
Keypad
Global · 1980s–
Keypad is a reference point in the public image of Silicone.
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