Silicone
is made of artificially produced polymers made of silicon, hydrogen, carbon and
oxygen. Their generic chemical formula is [R2SiO]. Depending on the silicone
type, R could be either ethyl or phenyl or methyl group of organic molecules.
[SiO] is a long strain of inorganic silicon and oxygen molecules chemically
bonded together.
Physical
properties of silicones depend on the lengths and spatial positions of their
[SiO] strains. These positions and lengths change when silicones enter chemical
reactions with several chemical compounds, which leads to changes in silicone
physical properties.
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Silicones
used in production of Silicone Keypads possess a wide array of outstanding
qualities. These qualities are:
- Thermal stability under the temperatures ranging from -1000C to 2500C
- Resistance to harmful bacteria
- Chemical inertness
- Non-toxicity
- Ability to serve as electrical insulator
- Resistance to ozone, oxygen and UV light (ultraviolet light)
- Noncorrosive
- Eco-friendliness
- Being non-sticky
- Being waterproof
Advantages
of using silicone buttons in electronic products
Silicone
buttons are used in wide variety of electronic products including medical devices,
calculators, remote controls, industrial keypads, PLCs (programmable logic
controllers) and building construction equipment.
In
general, silicone keypads in conjunction with carbon contact pills are used to
activate and deactivate electric circuits (a contact pill is molded on the back
of a silicone rubber button). When a silicone rubber keypad is pressed, its
position changes so that a carbon contact pill completes electric circuit thus
allowing the electric current to flow. Compared with the other methods of
circuit activation, this one is the most cost effective and reliable because it
does not employ mechanical switches known for their short lifespan and high
production cost.
Certain
types of electric equipment operate below freezing point. The buttons that are
used to activate them are made out of silicone rubber because this material has
the ability to withstand very low temperatures.
Because
silicone is resistant to the ultraviolet light, silicone rubber buttons are
used in UV light medical devices.
Child
toys should not become sources of dangerous toxins that could harm the child's
health. Because of the silicone's non-toxicity, child toys equipped with
silicone rubber buttons pose no danger to their owners.
Silicone
is a non-sticky material, which makes silicone rubber buttons very convenient
and pleasant to use.
Low
production cost of the silicone rubber buttons and their subsequent low
wholesale price provides an excellent opportunity to save money for the
manufacturing companies that order them from the suppliers.
Customization
of rubber buttons.
Following
processes are used to manufacture silicone rubber products: vulcanization, also
known as compression molding, and injection molding.
During
the vulcanization silicone enters chemical reactions with either sulfurs or
peroxidesor urethane crosslinkers or metallic oxides or dueces or
acetoxysilanes. The goal of the process is to force silicone rubber to take the
shape of a mold.
In
the beginning of the injection molding process silicone matter is placed into a
barrel which is heated above the silicone melting temperature. After that high
apparatus pressure is used to pour melted silicone into a cold mold. Liquid
silicone takes the shape of a mould and slowly hardens while its temperature
drops to the room temperature level.
The
variations in the mould designs are practically limitless, which makes possible
to have end products of any sizes and shapes. As far as rubber buttons are
concerned, a single mould could be used to produce several types of buttons of
arbitrary shapes.
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