While silicone, the substance and compound itself, is a polymer composed of silicon and other materials, many people don't know that silicone comes in many different material types. Flex Technologies prides itself on offering the highest-quality flexible silicone hoses and tubing for your various needs, from automotive to textiles and pharmaceutical. Below, we'll take a look at all of the different silicone material types. Shop all of our silicone tubes online today! 

DIFFERENT SILICONE MATERIAL TYPES 

• FSR (Fluorosilicone Rubber). FSR is an elastomer that you'll find used in aerospace component parts, gaskets, seals, O-rings, and more. It is long-lasting, which is why these industries use them. 
• HCR (High Consistency Rubber, or solid silicone rubber). This silicone is a high-viscosity solid rubber that you'll find in compression molding, transfer molding, and rubber tubing. 
• LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber). LSR is low viscosity and is found most commonly in liquid rubber form. Because it is liquid, you'll find it used in injection molding. 
• RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanize). This type of silicone is a soft paste of viscous liquid. It comes in liquids and solids. You'll find it in high temperature vulcanized rubber (HTV), too. 

You'll notice that silicone rubber can be classified according to its viscosity. It comes in three main forms: 

1. Solid silicone rubber (or HTV). This type of silicone is what you would think of as more of a traditional rubber. Its polymers have a high molecular weight and relatively long polymer chains. 
2. Liquid silicone rubber (or LSR). Being a liquid, this type of silicone rubber has better flow properties, which is why it's chosen for injection molding and extrusion equipment. Because it is so moldable and has excellent durability and design freedom, this type of silicone is found in LED lighting, electronics, and more. 
3. Room temperature vulcanized (or RTV). This type of silicone has a hardness range from soft to medium. You'll find these used as sealants.

PARTNER WITH FLEX TECHNOLOGIES TODAY 

Silicone rubber has many useful applications in various industries, including the medical, food, aerospace, and consumer industries. Many common products are made from silicone rubber that we use everyday. It's one of those materials that most people don't know about, but that we use on a regular basis. 

Flex Technologies manufactures the best flexible silicone hoses and tubing for various industries and applications. They work well in numerous systems and settings, and our customers rave about their durability and longevity. From extreme temperatures and high vibrations to high humidity or under pressure, our flexible silicone hoses are up for the task at hand. We offer our top-rated flexible silicone rubber tubing at affordable prices, and we can help with all your OEM or custom needs. If you need a part, let us know. We can design it for you. To get started, browse our silicone hoses and tubing online today!