Above: see how the water just sits on the sample of standard silicone (right) vs beads up and runs off the L-73131/80 Si-Release® (left)
*these samples were tested side-by-side at the same angle
Si-Release® is a trademark of Laur Silicone, Inc. which covers a range of methods used to enhance the release properties of silicone rubber. There are different factors that affect release and one solution would not be expected to work in all cases. Therefore, Laur Silicone can offer different methods depending on your application. Silicone Rubber is widely known to have lower surface energy than most rubbers.
Laur Silicone offers proprietary technologies that display surface energies lower than standard silicone rubbers. Surface energies that are lower than Teflon® on ground surfaces are possible. This is done without changing many of the other properties of the rubber.
Because the lower surface energy displays mainly on ground surfaces, it does not inhibit the ability of the material to be bonded to a subsurface with the aid of a primer.
The ability to bond to metal while presenting a low surface energy on ground finishes makes these materials particularly useful for rubber covered rollers. It is important that the rubber cover stays adhered to the roller core in most roller applications. These ultra-low surface energy materials will do this while at the same time presenting a very low surface energy surface that aids release properties.
Fillers may also be used to modify the surface finish of silicone parts. This method is most useful in parts that will be cut or ground after molding. Filler type and loading can be adjusted to vary the surface structure. Laur Silicone can offer different fillers and loading as your application requires.
In addition to surface energy and texture modification, bleed fluids, which will slowly bleed out of the part after it is cured, may be used. This method is of particular use in keeping the silicone part from fusing to a substrate with prolonged use. It is also useful in allowing parts to slide over each other during assembly.
Laur Silicone can offer custom materials to match a particular application.