01 Feedstock
Ore, monomer, fibre, mineral or scrap that can legally become Silicone.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength28
Heat resistance80
Fire performance62
Insulation42
Workability76
Circularity40
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Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
Is Silicone non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: often high LOI vs organic rubbers. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Silicone insulate?
Thermal mark 42/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: ~0.2 W/m·K; filled greases conduct.
What is the density band?
~1.1–1.5 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: Kipping / Rochow 1940s (United Kingdom / US).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 40/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
elastomer; resins cure
heat 80 · fire 62
Making Silicone is a chain: feedstock, conversion (Kipping / Rochow 1940s), forming, heat, finish, install.
Skip a step and the properties chapter is describing a different object.
Process steps
02 Conversion
Kipping / Rochow 1940s
03 Forming
Cast, spin, weave, sinter, foam, laminate or coat — the step that sets anisotropy.
04 Heat / cure
Temper, vulcanise, calcine or dry: skip it and the datasheet is fiction.
05 Finish
Coatings, sizings, facers, galvanizing, anodising, painting.
06 Install
Fasteners, adhesives, DFT, compression, dryness — site quality is a material property.
Routes
Primary
Virgin route around United Kingdom / US.
Recycled / secondary
Recycling exists but quality or energy often disappoints.
Specialty
High-spec grades leave the commodity mill.
Site-applied
Coatings, sprays, casts — the factory is sometimes a jobsite.
Diagrams
Silicone process path
Feedstock to installed product.
- Feed — in
- Convert — mill
- Form — shape
- Finish — coat
- Install — out
- Spec — code
- Scrap loop — rec
Silicone heat & fire
Energy in, class out.
- Heat — in
- Silicone — mat
- λ / char — out
- Ignition — fire
- Euroclass — class
- Assembly — sys
Hard limits
Envelope
Melting/softening elastomer; resins cure; conductivity ~0.2 W/m·K; filled greases conduct.
Environment
Moisture, UV, chlorides, alkalis or oxygen — pick the one that actually kills Silicone.
Code
Fire class often high LOI vs organic rubbers is a starting letter, not a wall rating.
Process energy and scrap quality belong in the carbon passport, not in a footnote.
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