Materials firm Dow has launched its Silastic SA 994X Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) series targeted at the mobility and transportation industry.
The latest LSR series is a range of primerless, self-adhesive, general purpose and self-lubricating, one-to-one mix ratio LSRs designed for two-component injection moulding with thermoplastic substrates including, but not limited to, polybutylene terephthalate and polyamide. This new series can be used across multiple automotive applications such as connector seals, battery vent gaskets and radiator gasket seals for electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as environmental protection seals for autonomous vehicles’ lidar and radar housing.
This launch builds on Dow’s previously announced capacity expansions and investments for the mobility and transportation market, which included the installation of a new LSR mixer at the company’s production site in Zhangjiagang, China in 2021.
“The investments we’ve made in our liquid silicone rubber capacities were both an exciting and necessary step for us as we work to provide the best possible material solutions for our mobility customers,” said Jeroen Bello, Global Marketing Director for Mobility and Transportation, Dow Consumer Solutions. “Our expanded ability to produce these technologies has enabled further advancements from our engineers, which deepens the level of collaboration that we bringing to the table.”
The products within the series offer automotive manufacturers several key benefits including:
- – Durable adhesion under heat and humidity
- – Instant development of full bond strength
- – 12-month shelf-life stability
- – Robust and instant adhesion to multiple plastic and metal substrates throughout the products’ shelf life without the need for further heat treatment
“As the requirements of automotive OEMs and tiers continue to evolve in response to the rapid change occurring throughout the industry, it’s of the utmost importance that they have the tools they need to keep up to speed,” said Bello. “Liquid silicone rubbers are a critical material in multiple mobility and transportation applications and our team at Dow is continuously working toward greater global level innovation within this product category. With the addition of the Silastic SA 994X LSR series to our portfolio, we are even better positioned to support the needs of our customers today and in the future.”