What is the Difference Between Rubber and Silicone?

The main difference between rubber and silicone lies in their atomic structure and properties. Here are the key differences between the two:

1. Origin: Rubber is a natural or synthetic polymer, while silicone is a synthetic material made from silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.
2. Chemical Resistance: Silicone exhibits a wider chemical resistance than natural rubber, making it a better choice for chemical sealing applications.
3. Heat Resistance: Silicone can operate at much higher temperatures than natural rubber, with silicone able to be formulated to operate up to 230°C, while natural rubber starts deteriorating at 80°C and melts at 120°C.
4. Weather Resistance: Silicone has excellent resistance to weathering and UV, while natural rubber weathers very quickly and is not suited to outdoor applications.
5. Abrasion Resistance: Silicone has poor abrasion resistance compared to natural rubber, which has excellent abrasion resistance.
6. Tensile Strength: Natural rubber has a higher tensile strength (approximately 25 MPa) than silicone (approximately 5 MPa).
7. Compression Set: Both materials have excellent compression set, which means they can return to their original shape after being compressed.

In summary, silicone is a better choice for applications requiring resistance to heat, chemicals, and weather, while rubber is a better choice for applications requiring abrasion resistance and higher tensile strength.

Comparative Table: Rubber vs Silicone

Here is a table comparing the differences between rubber and silicone:

Rubber and silicone are both elastomers, but they have different atomic structures and properties. Rubber is made from polymer chains of carbon, while silicone contains silicon in its polymer chains instead of carbon. Silicone generally offers better temperature resistance, weather resistance, and chemical resistance compared to rubber. However, rubber has better abrasion resistance than silicone.