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1. Engineering Sealants and Adhesives

Silicones are highly suited to bonding materials and can be used in extensions, construction, connections and moving joints (for example, bridges). The physical elasticity of flexible joints keeps objects fixed in position while cushioning the natural displacement and movement between materials caused by changes in temperature, humidity, wind and other environmental factors. Silicones used at the joints of newly paved and repaired concrete road surfaces can extend the service life of highways, airport runways, bridges, docks, garages and residential streets. Silicones can withstand severe expansion and contraction, and they do not react chemically with the fuels, hydraulic oils and cleaning solvents commonly found on busy industrial roads.

2. Long-Term Protection of Building Appearance and Quality

Exposure to the natural environment remains the primary headache for architects and builders of industrial and commercial buildings. Silicones used in structural glazing systems provide long-term protection of the appearance and quality of buildings. Whether materials are made with silicones or finished with silicone surface coatings, the final products are virtually unaffected by sunlight, rain, hail, snow, heat, cold, UV radiation and atmospheric pollution. Because design properties such as elasticity, tensile strength, hardness and adhesion do not change significantly over time, buildings last longer and require less maintenance. In the event of severe weather, fire, earthquakes, explosions or forced entry, structural sealants used in protective or impact-resistant windows offer greater protection to occupants and passers-by. Silicone glazing systems can be used for industrially laminated windows in new buildings and for retrofitting existing windows. The result: the likelihood of broken glass fragments falling from the window frame is reduced and safety is improved. Structural sealants also provide outstanding insulation. Manufacturers typically use silicones for insulating glass panels and components in building facades. The glass can effectively withstand severe winters, hot summers, UV radiation and humidity, and benefits from the low water absorption and strong adhesion of silicones.

3. Waterproofing and Enhanced Structural Strength

Coatings formulated with silicones can withstand years of outdoor weather conditions without erosion and are therefore suitable for decorative and commercial use. Silicones can be easily added to a wide range of coatings, including powder coatings, liquid coatings, primers and varnishes, turning them into “ready-to-use” waterborne, powder and emulsion materials. Their effect is even more pronounced on stone, poured and precast concrete, grooved stone blocks, brick and plaster. Silicone resin emulsions and plasters are among the most modern and successful exterior coatings. Silicone resin binders not only seal pores to provide water resistance, but also strengthen the substrate. Silicone primers also reinforce the underlying material and improve the adhesion of the top coating.

4. Better Corrosion, Sun and Wear Resistance for Buildings

The term “industrial strength” was coined precisely for materials made with silicones. Industrial surfaces — bridges, drilling platforms and railway carriages — must withstand a wide range of destructive conditions while being more durable than consumer coatings. Silicones in anticorrosion coatings and plasters protect industrial surfaces and structures, extending their life and improving their appearance. Thanks to rapid advances in silicone technology, today’s exterior coatings are not only more durable but also better able to withstand sunlight, salt attack, pollution and ageing. Silicone coatings offer outstanding adhesion, pigment dispersion, and resistance to chemicals, harsh weather and various pollutants. New silicone-reinforced coatings maintain the elasticity of exterior coatings, allowing them to withstand freeze/thaw cycles without cracking, chalking, peeling or blistering. They effectively reduce the attack of oils, gasoline, salt spray and acid rain on surface coatings. Staining and abrasion caused by pollution, vehicles and other adverse factors do not affect the service life of industrial surfaces.

5. The Most Effective Waterproof Protection

Water can cause the most severe damage to buildings. Moisture and dampness can erode surfaces, degrade adhesives at joints, reduce the insulation performance of structures, and may carry harmful substances such as bacteria into the building, increasing health risks. Silicone water repellents for stone provide the most effective waterproof protection. They can be added to any kind of coating, plaster or topcoat to make building materials more water-repellent, and can optimise the water resistance, waterproofing and water-vapour permeability of coatings. Unlike other coatings, silicone water repellents do not seal the pores; instead they form an extremely thin protective film on the pore walls, reducing the ingress of water without sacrificing the permeability — the “breathability” — of the material. External moisture cannot penetrate the material, yet moisture that accumulates inside can still escape. Water-repellent treatments are particularly effective on plain and reinforced concrete, aerated concrete, natural stone, limestone, brickwork and sand-lime bricks. Silicones also prevent glass from fogging caused by moisture ingress.

6. Protection and Restoration of Cultural Heritage

Many of the world’s important cultural heritage monuments are built from natural materials — porous sandstone and porous limestone — and are therefore particularly vulnerable to the climate. Silicone sealants and adhesives can penetrate the stone (reaching the undamaged core) and consolidate the natural material, restoring its original strength. This process does not affect the physical properties of the stone or structure, such as vapour permeability (breathability) and thermal behaviour. In fact, silicones can enhance many of these properties. Furthermore, silicones are applied uniformly, avoiding staining or streaking.