Here at Flex Technologies, we are proud to carry high quality silicone hoses and tubes for a huge array of industries, including the aerospace, marine, agriculture, medical, and automotive industries. Our products see so much use because they are made out of high quality silicone, which is one of the most industrially versatile materials out there. Whether you are talking about its resistance to heat, cold, UV light, ozone, chemical corrosion, or any of its many beneficial properties, silicone has something to offer for just about any situation. Here, we would like to finish our list of industrial uses for silicone materials.

Moldmaking

Silicone is an integral part of mold making, as two part silicone system rubber molds are needed to cast foams, rubbers, resins, and low temperature alloys. Silicone molds work so well because they don't require any, or very little, mold release or preparation, due to the fact that most materials will not stick to silicone. When mold release is necessary, simple substances like vegetable cooking oils or a petroleum jelly serve well. When cooking molds are created for the purpose of cooking bake-ware, they do not require cooking oil to keep food from sticking.

Opthalmology

Eye doctors use silicone in all kinds of different ways. Silicone oils are used when the vitreous is replaced after a vitrectomy. It is used to keep the nasolacrimal passage open after a dacrycystorhinostomy. It is also used to put in canalicular stents when canalicular stenosis is necessary. If those all sound like big, hard-to-understand words, you aren't alone. We don't know what they mean either, but we do know that they require silicone!

Plumbing

Plumbing utilizes silicone oils and grease on the O rings of brass taps and valves. This prevents lime or other materials from sticking to the brass or other metals. Silicone sealants and caulks are also commonly used in the plumbing industry in order to seal joints, gaps, and crevices.

Sex Industry

No list of industries that rely on silicone would be complete without including the sex industry. Many of the features that make silicone useful medically also make it a great fit for this industry, most notably the fact that it is non toxic. Silicone is soft, durable, easy to clean, and doesn't react to petroleum based products. Additionally, silicone doesn't have phthalates, which are chemicals suspected to have carcinogenic effects on mucous membranes.

Fire Safety

One of the lesser known uses of silicone materials is as a firestop. Silicone foam is often installed in buildings in North America at their openings in order to help prevent flames and smoke spreading from one room to another. However, in recent years concerns about the efficacy of silicone foams in stopping smoke spreading have arisen, and so fire safety methods have shifted away from silicone.

Construction

The construction industry utilizes a wide range of silicone materials. Silicone adhesives are used to create a bond between unlike surfaces, like those of concrete, granite, steel, plastic, and glass. Things like dramatic glass facades and other innovative engineering feats could not be done without the bonding strength of silicone adhesives. Silicone sealants work great because of their flexibility, allowing them to absorb stress, impacts, and movement on their structure by elements like high wind or earthquakes. Silicone coatings protect the joints of a structure through their resistance to heat, corrosion, moisture, ultraviolet light, and pollution.

That finishes up just about all the industrial uses for silicone that we know about. However, as one of the leading pioneers in silicone hose and tube manufacturing, we here at Flex Technologies know that new manufacturing methods and uses for silicone products are being found every day. We have been in the silicone product manufacturing business since 2003, and are proud to be on the cutting edge of the industry. All of the silicone products that we sell online are subject to the strict requirements of ISO 9001:2008, TS-16949, as well as our own internal company processes. That is why we are a trusted multi national Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) supplier.

If you are looking for silicone hoses or silicone tubes online, then check out our quality selection of silicone products available for order right now. They are shipped right to your door for convenience. We also offer wholesale and distribution options as well. For more information about our products, delivery, or wholesale options, please do not hesitate to give us a call at your earliest convenience. One of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.