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🫧Measured properties

Silicone · Si–O backbone elastomers and resins — bakeware, medical tubing, façade sealants and a kinder high-temp story than carbon chains.

At a glance
Score intensity

Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.

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

Start with this section - Measured properties

Numbers below are bands used by working engineers, not live quotes. Tensile note: modest vs NR; stability is the product.

Fire performance in this atlas is editorial. Real projects need the assembly report.

Mechanical

Strength band

modest vs NR; stability is the product

Stiffness

Modulus follows chemistry and orientation — not the marketing nickname.

Toughness

Crack growth, not peak stress, retires most real parts.

Fatigue / creep

Cyclic and time-dependent damage dominate certificates issued on static coupons.

Hardness / hand

Indentation, drape or compressive class — whichever the trade actually measures.

Thermal

Conductivity

~0.2 W/m·K; filled greases conduct — Silicone is not a substitute for a dedicated λ layer.

Service temperature

Melting / softening / decomposition band: elastomer; resins cure.

Expansion

Joints and clearances must follow the expansion class of Silicone, not of steel-by-habit.

Thermal mass

Density ~1.1–1.5 g/cm³ sets how fast a section changes temperature.

Ageing of λ

Foams, VIPs and moist batts drift; quote aged values.

Electrical

Conductor or dielectric

Silicone is generally a dielectric or semiconductor film, not building wire.

Static / EMI

Fillers and moisture change resistivity more than brochures admit.

Standards language

IACS, volume resistivity or dielectric strength — pick the quantity the job uses.

Fire

Reaction to fire

Typical declared class: often high LOI vs organic rubbers. This is not a universal passport.

Resistance vs reaction

Euroclass is reaction. EI/R ratings are assemblies — boards, coats, cavities.

Melt-drip / char

Silicone can burn or drip; do not treat it as A1 without a system test.

Smoke / toxicity

CO, HCN, HF or fibres — the species depend on chemistry. Name the test (ISO 5659, EN 45545, NFPA 1971).

If a salesperson quotes a single “safety score”, ask which standard, which thickness, which year.

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