Wacker, the Munich-based chemical group, will showcase a new grade of high consistency silicone rubber featuring very high green strength at the 19. International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber K 2013. Sold under the name Elastosil R 416/70, this product enables cost-effective production of fabric-reinforced silicone hoses by extrusion. Hoses made from Elastosil R 416/70 are ideal for automotive applications requiring good temperature and coolant resistance.The new peroxide-curing high consistency silicone has been specially developed for extrusion manufacturing of hoses. Elastosil R 416/70 features superior green strength and a non-sticky surface. As a result, uncured "endless" hose blanks retain their shape during subsequent processing. As it cures, the new solid silicone adheres well to fabrics, forming a strong bond with them. This makes it possible to produce silicone hoses that are reinforced with fabric to provide the necessary pressure resistance.
When cured, Elastosil R 416/70 delivers all the advantages typical of silicones: heat resistance at temperatures up to 210 °C, flexibility at temperatures as low as -45 °C, high aging and continuous fatigue resistance. Elastosil R 416/70 is also sufficiently resistant to the glycol-water-based coolants used in the automotive industry.
One sample application for the new product is the production of coolant hoses for turbochargers in which the bearing housing is cooled. This is commonly the case in engines using the Otto cycle. In turbocharger coolant hoses, the glycol-water mixture is fed from the radiator to the turbocharger’s bearing housing and back again. Elastosil R 416/70 is also suitable for manufacturing hoses for differential pressure sensors in diesel particle filters. These sensors measure the difference in pressure between the two sides of the filter, thereby providing information about the filter’s particle load. The hoses mechanically decouple the sensitive sensors from the exhaust pipe.
Hoses made from Elastosil R 416/70 are technically superior to conventional rubber hoses in a number of engine-related applications. Moreover, the new high consistency silicone is also an interesting alternative to organic rubber from an economic perspective.
