Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) is a high-performance elastomer powering products in medical, baby care, automotive, lighting, and consumer electronics. Yet myths persist and often block smart material choices. This guide busts those myths and adds practical tips so you can design and source LSR parts with confidence.

1.Silicone is a chemical element or ingredient

Misconception: Silicone is the same as the element silicon.
Reality: Silicone is a family of synthetic polymers with a Si–O backbone and organic side groups. This hybrid structure delivers thermal stability, flexibility, and biocompatibility—ideal for precision LSR injection molding, overmolding, and micro-features.

What it means for buyers: When you see “silicone,” verify the exact grade (medical, food, industrial), cure system (platinum/addition cure for LSR), and intended use.

2. Silicone rubbers are “just synthetic” and therefore unsafe

Misconception: “Synthetic” equals risky.
Reality: LSR originates from abundant silica (sand). Platinum-cured LSRs are inert, low-extractable, and widely used for skin and mucosal contact.

Sourcing tip: Ask suppliers for material data sheets and available compliance evidence (e.g., FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, ISO 10993 biocompatibility, USP Class VI) for the specific grade you intend to use.

3. Silicone rubbers can only be processed at high temperatures

Misconception: LSR needs extreme heat and long cycles.
Reality: LSR’s low viscosity enables fast liquid injection molding (LIM) with cold runners and hot molds, typically achieving short cycle times—even for micro parts. Room-temperature cure (RTV) systems also exist for potting and assembly.

Design tip: Wall thickness down to ~0.2–0.5 mm and stable micro-features are achievable with proper venting, gate design, and vacuum-assisted molds.

4.Silicone rubbers are always tacky

Misconception: Silicone surfaces are inherently sticky.
Reality: Tacky feel usually signals an under-cure, unsuitable grade, or the wrong finish. Post-cure, surface texturing, plasma/fluoro-coatings, or self-lubricating LSR grades yield dry, low-friction touch—perfect for seals, wearables, valves, and baby nipples.

Supplier checklist: Confirm cure schedule, post-cure parameters, surface spec (Ra), and any coating durability (e.g., abrasion or alcohol-wipe resistance).

5. Silicone rubbers are only soft and flexible

Misconception: Silicone is too soft for durable parts.
Reality: LSR spans from gel-like Shore 00 to firm Shore A 70–80. High-tear formulations, tensile strengths >5–9 MPa, and excellent fatigue resistance enable robust diaphragms, valves, keypads, gaskets, and vibration isolators.

Value add: Overmold LSR onto PC/PA/PP to combine soft-touch sealing with rigid structural frames.

6.Silicone rubbers generate a lot of fumes when they burn

Misconception: LSR releases toxic smoke.
Reality: LSR is halogen-free and can be formulated to meet stringent flammability targets (e.g., UL 94 V-0 for suitable grades and thicknesses). Compared with many thermoplastics, smoke density and corrosive gases are typically lower.

Engineering note: Always validate flame rating, thickness, and enclosure airflow for your specific application.

7.Silicone rubbers contribute to atmospheric contamination

Misconception: Silicone processing is VOC-heavy.
Reality: Platinum-cured LSR undergoes addition cure with no by-product outgassing during use. With clean mixing, closed-loop dosing, and proper ventilation, modern LIM cells are clean and consistent—well suited to medical and optical parts.

Quality tip: Specify clean manufacturing environments for critical parts and require documented process controls and lot traceability.

8.Silicone rubbers take thousands of years to degrade

Misconception: Silicone behaves like conventional plastics.
Reality: Silicone is durable by design and does not fragment into microplastics. End-of-life options include mechanical reuse in secondary goods, reclaim programs, or energy recovery. Its long service life often reduces total environmental impact versus frequent replacements.

Sustainability tip: Ask about take-back options, waste minimization (cold runner/valveless gating), and lifecycle data relevant to your product.

9. Silicone rubbers create allergies and irritations

Misconception: Silicone causes rashes.
Reality: Medical-grade LSR is hypoallergenic and widely selected for catheters, pacifier nipples, masks, and skin-contact wearables. Irritation typically arises from additives, residues, or improper cleaning—not the base LSR.

Validation tip: For skin/mucosal contact, request extractables/leachables data and biocompatibility testing on the exact formulation and colorant package.

10. Silicone rubbers bioaccumulate in the human body

Misconception: Silicone builds up in tissues over time.
Reality: High-molecular-weight silicone elastomers are inert and not bioaccumulative. For implantables, use specifically rated grades and follow the required regulatory test paths.

Risk management: Align material choice with intended duration of contact and applicable standards; document every upstream change.

Bonus misconception: Silicone rubbers cause disease

Misconception: Long-term exposure to LSR leads to illness.
Reality: Decades of clinical use and regulatory testing support the safety of platinum-cured LSR when specified and processed correctly. As with any material, choose the right grade and verify compliance for your application.

Choose LYASILICONE for LSR components

LYA Silicone (lyasilicone.com) delivers end-to-end LSR solutions for pet, baby care,  and industrial programs.

What you get with LYA Silicone:

• Design for Manufacturing (DFM) support: parting lines, vents, gates, and draft tuned for LSR flow
• In-house moldmaking for fast iterations, multi-cavity productivity, and tight tolerances
• Liquid injection molding (LIM), micro-molding, overmolding to plastics/metals, liquid color dosing
• Controlled cleanroom manufacturing for sensitive and medical-adjacent products
• Material guidance: medical/food grades, translucent/colored LSR, self-lubricating/low-friction options
• Quality and documentation aligned with your industry requirements (IQ/OQ/PQ or PPAP on request)
• Rapid prototyping to mass production with stable, repeatable cycles

Call to action: Share your part files (STEP/IGES), target durometer, annual volumes, and any compliance needs. Our team will return an optimized DFM, material recommendation, and a firm quote.

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