Introduction to Silicone Foam
Silicone foam material (also known as: silica gel foam/foamed silica gel) is made of silicone raw rubber, fillers, vulcanization accelerators, styrofoam, etc. A porous, low-density, compressible polymer elastomer made at high temperature. Because of the high elasticity of silicone rubber and the sound insulation and shock absorption properties of foam materials, it is widely used in daily life. It is mostly used as vibration damping pads, sealing gaskets, sound-absorbing materials, insulating layer materials, and airline insulation materials. According to the cell structure, silicone foam is divided into three types: closed cell type, open cell type and mixed type.
Closed-cell foamed organic silica gel foam material has good shock-proof cushioning, sound insulation, heat insulation and flame-retardant and explosion-proof properties. It is mainly used in the automotive field for heat-insulating foam pipes for automotive air conditioners, automotive shock Foamed silicone gaskets for automotive batteries, etc. The interior materials of many cars today, such as floors, ceilings, steering wheels, car seats, etc., are all polyurethane foam materials. Because the price of polyurethane foam material is lower. However, polyurethane foam materials have poor weather resistance, are flammable and release a large amount of toxic gases harmful to human body during combustion. Therefore, with the promotion of silicone foam materials and the improvement of people's understanding of them, silicone foam materials are expected to replace traditional polyurethane foam materials in the future.


Characteristics of silicone foam

Density of silicone foam

The density of the silicone foam matrix is 1.17g/cm3. However, through foaming treatment, the density of the silicone foam material prepared in the current mature process can be as low as 0.16-0.20 g/cm3, which can be used for car seats, headrests and other parts; while the conventional silicone rubber foam material ( Density is 0.45 g/cm3) is widely used for gap filling in sealing, shock absorption and other parts.

Flame retardant properties of silicone foam

According to scientific experimental research data, the silicone foam added with flame retardant has good flame retardant performance, and the flame retardant grade can reach UL94-V0. When applied to electric vehicles, it can well reduce the damage caused by combustion. question.

Electrical Insulation Properties of Silicone Foam

As the amount of physical filler increases, the volume resistivity and surface resistivity of silicone rubber tend to decrease, and the dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor generally increase. It can be seen that the addition of physical fillers damages the electrical insulation properties of silicone rubber to a certain extent.

Application of silicone foam in electric vehicle industry

Batteries are the source of kinetic energy for pure electric vehicles. The potential safety hazards of batteries seriously endanger the safety of the vehicle. When the batteries are working, they will generate a certain amount of heat, which can produce a certain thermal expansion and contraction effect at different temperatures. , leading to a certain expansion of the battery cells, and long-term capacitance-grid friction between the cells, which is likely to cause damage to the cells and cause the rechargeable battery to be invalid, and even uncontrollable in severe cases. In addition, the output voltage of the battery pack is above 200V. It is required that the battery case must be sealed and waterproof to prevent short circuit caused by water seepage. The waterproof level of the battery case must be IP67.

Silicone foam has high shrinkage reduction characteristics, avoids deformation caused by thermal expansion and contraction of rechargeable battery Cell during battery charging and charging and discharging, and has excellent durability, low shrinkage, and impact absorption and flame retardancy (UL 94 V0 rating). At the same time, silica gel also has good waterproof performance and the following properties, so it is widely used in the buffer heat insulation of new energy batteries and the sealing of the outer frame.
1. At different temperatures, the performance of the silicone foam is stable, and the performance of the product sealing ring is stable. 2. Excellent water tightness, no water seepage when the product is used outside. 4. Excellent flame retardant performance, which can effectively prevent the risk of thermal effects during battery operation. 5. The thickness and strength can be designed according to different standards. The sealing ring must be well matched with the casing and the internal stress is low, which can effectively avoid the bending of the sealing ring The application of arched silicone foam gaskets in the sealing of new energy power lithium battery frames.


About silicone foam, please check the details:
https://www.siliconefoam.net/product-firm-cellular-silicone-iota-ht-820-.html