/ SILICONE MATERIALS

Select the compound around performance—not color.

Material selection begins with the fluid, temperature, compression, movement, electrical function and regulatory responsibility. We support silicone and LSR options for custom molded industrial sealing components.

/ MATERIAL SELECTION

The same drawing can behave differently in another compound.

Hardness alone does not define sealing performance. Polymer type, cure system, formulation, geometry and compression all influence installation force, recovery, compression set and service life.

Share the actual operating range rather than requesting the “highest grade.” Our team can narrow the material options, identify questions that require customer validation and align the compound with the selected molding process.

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/ CORE MATERIAL OPTIONS

Four material routes for different sealing requirements.

VMQ

High-Consistency Silicone Rubber

VMQ silicone is a versatile starting point for molded gaskets, O-rings, boots, covers and custom profiles. It offers useful flexibility across a broad temperature range and can be supplied in multiple hardness and color options.

Common reasons to consider VMQ

Temperature stability and weather resistance
Custom compression-molded geometry
Flexible hardness and color options
Prototype to repeat production volumes

Review carefully: fuel, oil, solvent and chemical exposure; dynamic abrasion; required compression set; and any application-specific compliance.

LSR

Liquid Silicone Rubber

LSR is injection molded and is often selected for repeatable high-volume parts, small features, complex flow paths and components designed for automated production. The part and tool should be developed specifically for the LSR process.

Common reasons to consider LSR

Precision molding and repeatability
Complex or small sealing features
Automated molding and reduced manual handling
Silicone-to-plastic or silicone-to-metal projects

Review carefully: tooling investment, gate location, flash limits, undercuts, bonding substrate and expected annual volume.

FVMQ

Fluorosilicone Rubber

Fluorosilicone combines silicone-like flexibility with greater resistance to many fuels, oils and selected solvents. It may be considered for automotive, aerospace-support and industrial fluid-exposure projects.

Common reasons to consider FVMQ

Fuel and oil exposure beyond general VMQ capability
Low-temperature flexibility requirements
Custom gaskets, rings and molded seals
Applications with mixed thermal and fluid demands

Review carefully: the exact chemical, concentration, exposure time, temperature, pressure and mechanical duty. Compatibility must be confirmed against the real medium.

Conductive Silicone

Conductive silicone compounds can combine environmental sealing with electrical conductivity, grounding or EMI-related functions. Performance depends on filler system, compression, surface contact and the complete enclosure design.

Common reasons to consider conductive silicone

Conductive enclosure gaskets
Grounding and contact interfaces
Custom molded EMI sealing profiles
Environmental seal plus electrical function

Review carefully: target resistance, shielding responsibility, mating surface, compression, galvanic considerations and test method.

/ PRELIMINARY COMPARISON

Use the matrix to start the discussion.

This is a procurement guide, not a final compatibility approval. Exact formulations and service conditions must be reviewed for each project.

Material	Typical Process	General Strength	Important RFQ Questions
VMQ	Compression molding	Temperature, weathering, flexible custom geometry	Media, hardness, compression, volume
LSR	Liquid injection molding	Precision, repeatability, complex features, automation	Annual volume, flash, gate, insert bonding
FVMQ	Application-dependent molding	Fuel, oil and selected solvent resistance	Exact fluid, concentration, temperature, exposure
Conductive Silicone	Compression or project-specific molding	Electrical conductivity plus sealing function	Resistance, shielding target, surface contact, compression

WHAT TO SEND

A better material recommendation starts with better service data.

If a specification is incomplete, tell us what is known and which conditions remain uncertain. We can turn that gap into a focused technical question before opening the mold.

01Exact media

Chemical name, concentration, mixture, cleaning agents and exposure time.

02Temperature profile

Continuous range, peak temperature, cycle frequency and installation temperature.

03Mechanical duty

Static or dynamic use, pressure, vacuum, compression and target service life.

04Compliance responsibility

Customer-required test method, documentation, food-contact, medical-device or industry-specific requirements.

05Production information

Quantity, annual demand, color, hardness, dimensional report and packaging needs.

NEED MATERIAL GUIDANCE?

Send the media, temperature and drawing.

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