Next-Gen Silicone Elastomers Power Innovations in Energy, Mobility, and Lifestyle at K 2025
At a press conference hosted by Messe Düsseldorf, WACKER presented its first product highlights for K 2025, the 23rd International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber coming up in October. In Hall 6 at Booth A10 – covering an area of 360 square meters and sporting WACKER’s new booth design –, the Group will be showcasing innovations in the areas of grid expansion, e-mobility, sensors and lifestyle applications.
WACKER will also display a new booth design at the trade fair. The portfolio will focus on new silicone products for energy, e-mobility, digitalization and sustainability. Highlights are ceramifying silicone rubber for e-mobility and electroactive silicone laminates for sensors, among others. Live-production of mouthpieces for air up water bottles with resource-saving silicone elastomers will take place during K 2025.
For the economical manufacture of hollow-core insulators, addition-curing solid silicone rubber is the main emphasis in the field of grid expansion. Additionally, a silicone solution for busbars is celebrating its debut in the field of electromobility. In the case of a fire, it ceramifies, preventing short circuits in electric automobiles‘ traction batteries.
“Silicones are true all-rounders. In addition to being easy to process, extremely robust and versatile, they have very good mechanical properties. For this reason, they are increasingly being used for applications that place high demands on the materials required. This is what makes technical innovations in important industries possible in the first place, for example in electromobility, medical technology or digitalization,”
Another highlight is silicone laminates, which they recently began producing on a commercial scale. They are electroactive and can, for example, be used as sensors in the field of digitalization. There is also news on the sustainability front. For example, a novel product from the ELASTOSIL eco series. These silicones are produced using plant-based methanol and are therefore particularly resource-efficient. The product is hyperpure and requires no post-curing, thus making it suitable for use in lifestyle products and beverage bottles. During the trade fair, WACKER will be producing mouthpieces for air up water bottles with the new liquid silicone rubber (daily during the trade show from 9:30 am to 6 pm).
Bortenschlager, an expert in silicones, cited the use of silicone products in energy transmission as an example. According to estimates by the European Commission, the refurbishment and expansion of energy networks in Europe will require investments of over 580 million euros. “As an insulation material, silicone plays an important and sustainable role in the safe operation of the energy grid. They insulate well, are resistant to both weathering and UV radiation and, unlike porcelain and glass insulators, do not normally need to be cleaned. They are therefore used in practically all areas of energy and transmission technology, especially in outdoor applications. “The demand here is immense and holds a huge market potential for us,” said Bortenschlager.
POWERSIL 1900 A/B
POWERSIL 1900 A/B is a new high-consistency silicone rubber for the production of hollow-core insulators. The product is supplied as a 2K system and is suitable for manufacturing processes that involve spiral extrusion. In contrast to other production methods, this makes the manufacturing of even large-scale insulators with variable diameters easier and more cost-effective. Thanks to their comparatively low weight, hollow-core insulators are much easier to install than rod insulators with a solid core. Weight savings may add up to 80 percent.
ELASTOSIL R 531/60
Busbars are basically aluminum or copper rails that distribute the current between the battery cells and modules. As nominal battery voltages in electric vehicles are already in the range of 300 V to 900 V, the reliable insulation of busbars is a must. At K 2025, WACKER presents a new product that reliably insulates such components. ELASTOSIL R 531/60 makes the sheathing of busbars cost-effective. In the event of fire, the product ceramifies and forms an electrically insulating protective layer that reliably prevents short circuits. ELASTOSIL R 531/60 thus plays a vital role in passenger and fire safety of electric vehicles.
NEXIPAL Sense
Silicone laminates take the production of flexible printed electronics to the next level. NEXIPAL Sense laminates consist of highly stretchable silicone elastomers and electrically conductive silicone films that jointly work as a flexible and stretch-able capacitor. Pressure or flex movements change the electrical capacitance of the component. Different voltage states thus provide precise sensor signals for applications in medical technology, robotics and sports. At the Group’s production site near Burghausen, serial production of sensor laminates has started. WACKER will be presenting itself for the first time ever at this year’s K 2025 trade fair as a manufacturer of prefabricated components that are produced using a specially developed and fully automated roll-to-roll manufacturing process. This will position the company as the world’s first supplier of customized flexible sensor laminates on an industrial production scale.
ELASTOSILeco LR 5003
In its sustainability zone, WACKER will present its new “eco” grade ELASTOSIL eco LR 5003. The non-postcure liquid silicone rubber is particularly suitable for the large-scale manufacture of products in the food industry and other sensitive areas. As far as their volatiles content is concerned, molded parts made from such silicones comply with the limits stipulated by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) even without postcuring. They also meet the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food-contact products. As a result, production of life-style products, drinking straws, baking tins, dough scrapers and other items is made very efficient. WACKER will use ELASTOSIL LR 5003 to injection mold mouthpieces for trendy water bottles designed by the company air up during the K show, using equipment by the courtesy of ARBURG and RICO Elastomere Projecting (live-demo daily from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm).
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