Silicone grease is a waterproof grease made by combining a silicone oil with a thickener. Most commonly, the silicone oil is polydimethylsiloxane and the thickener is amorphous fumed silica. Using this formulation, silicone grease is a translucent white viscous paste, with exact properties dependent on the type and proportion of the components.
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Use in industry
Silicone grease is commonly used for lubricating and preserving rubber parts, such as O-rings. Additionally, silicone grease does not swell or soften the rubber, which can be a problem with hydrocarbon based greases. It functions well as a corrosion-inhibitor and lubricant for purposes that require a thicker lubricant, such as the operating mechanism of the M1 Garand rifle.
Thermal grease often consists of a silicone grease base, along with added thermally conductive fillers. It is used for heat transfer abilities, rather than friction reduction.
Silicone grease is also used widely by the plumbing industry in faucets and seals, as well as dental equipment. Electrical utilities use silicone grease to lube separable elbows on lines which must endure high temperatures. Silicone greases generally have a temperature range of -40 to 400 °C.
Use in the chemical laboratory
Silicone grease is widely used as a temporary sealant and a lubricant for interconnecting ground glass joints, as is typically used in laboratory glassware. Although silicones are normally assumed to be chemically inert, several historically significant compounds have resulted from unintended reactions with silicones: for example, the first salts of crown ethers (OSi(CH3)2)n (n = 6, 7) were produced by reactions resulting from contacting organolithium and organopotassium compounds with silicone greases.[1]
Consumer Uses
Silicone-based lubricants are often used by consumers in applications where other common consumer lubricants, such as petroleum jelly, would damage certain products, such as latex rubber condoms and gaskets on drysuits. It can be used to lubricate fountain pen mechanisms, preserve O-rings in flashlights, to seal waterproof watches and for O-rings on air rifles. Silicone-based lubricants are also commonly used for remote control hobbies. Various household uses include lubricating light bulb threads to facilitate removal and discourage stuck bulb (especially in outdoor lighting), door hinges, shower heads, threads on bolts, garden hose threads or any thread or mechanism that can be lubricated.
References
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