Silicones A Case Study Component of Heat and Chemical Resistant Silicone Rubber

National Science Foundation supported curriculum development project.

I have been a chemist since the early 1950's. When I started to write this ChemCases unit, I reviewed the inorganic silicate chemistry first. I hadn't studied silicates in about 40 years but I remembered a lot of it. And I knew some facts about the origin of silicones, about their connection to electrical generation, about Eugene Rochow. But I had to study and do more research on these topics. That is the process of understanding and applying and evaluating. I followed the same pathway you will follow in understanding and evaluating this material. I did just a little bit every day and finally I thought I had mastered the material sufficiently to write this case. Matt Hermes

Directory 1. Silicate Structures 2. Organic Silicones 3. Problem of Electrical Insulation 4. Corning and the First Silicones for High Temperature Insulation  5. Organic Silicones at General Electric 6. (CH3)2SiCl2 6a. Thermodynamics and the Preparation of Silicon 7. Understanding of Polymers, Thermochemistry, and Kinetics  8. Heat and Chemical resistant Silicone Rubber  8a Chemical Engineers 9. Safety Quiz 10. Small Efficient Motors 11. Advances in Materials 12. Quiz: Choosing Materials for Our New Products 13. Thousands of Useful Products 15. Breast Augmentation Implants 16. Disease Conditions in Some Women 17. Bankruptcy of Dow-Corning 18. Who is Responsible for the Disease?               Silicone rubber was developed in the 1940's as an insulation for electric wiring. It didn't work very well as insulation but we learned to use the inert, rubbery material in thousands of ways. You can go to our summary concept map now. Take breast implants, for example. Silicone rubber seemed to be the ideal material to augment nature. And there are many, many good reasons for us to want to change our body's image. But we found that implants ruptured and furthermore many individuals claimed the silicones caused diseases - serious conditions such as immune system problems. And the issues went to court and the courts awarded many people lots of money for their pain. And companies like Dow Corning went bankrupt. But the scientists, in the end said there was no connection between implants and disease.  And in 2003 silicone breast implants seem poised to return. This is a chemistry story. Start with the develpement of silicones and work through how chemistry made silicones possible. Then look at the decisions that led to implants. And finally, help make decisions on how medical research, the government and you can decide how we safely develop and use medical devices.   So proceed to the concept map that takes you through this case study.

Concept Maps for this ChemCase Silicones ChemCases.com home