Silicone Confusion

[harold_h]

Hello,



I am confused about the use of silicone based products. I searched this board and I have read several threads which discussed how silicone based products are bad.



I emailed a company that sells a bunch of detailing stuff and asked, "I have read in various forums on the internet that silicone rots rubber/vynl from the inside out?"



They replied: "Thank you for your patience. I called some reliable resource to better answer your question. Silicone as a natural form will not, can not cause any harm to any materials. However it is all up to the manufacture who makes the product. Solvents can damage or rot materials "long term". Some manufactures will cheapen a silicone product and add solvents to cut cost. I do not know if [our product] is 100% silicone, I do know for the many years I have been using that product that I haven`t had any serious problems. If you feel uneasy I do know for a fact and 100% positive that our [other product] does NOT contain any solvents. Now [our other product] is a different product. It is a dye and contains no silicones. "





Can anybody enlighten me about silicone based products?



Please . . . :D

[Brad B]

Silicone itself is not necessarily a bad thing. There are (good) function and NON-functional (bad) silicones. Dimethol silicones dms- or non-functional silicones cannot bond or crosslink with anything else so they are constantly moving around not letting anything set. It lets coatings wash away easily. Silicones also have a (natural) very low UV inhibitor. It, too, washes away easily.



Many silicones come packaged with solvents that are petroleum based which make the combination very bad because it dries out the surface it is supposed to make shiny and wet looking. (vinyl, rubber or leather) What temporarily looks wet eventually dries and cracks.



Since it can be hard to remove silicone deposits (even in the air) painters HATE it as it causes nightmares in the paintbooth.

[shaf]

I`d suggest doing a search for some of the older threads discussing "PDMS". Good products using this stuff tends to be milky white and disolved in water (rather than petroleum distillates). Very interesting reading by some very knowledgable people.

[harold_h]

Thanks. . . I think I`m starting to understand. Pure silicone is not harmful but does nothing for detailers. I have pure silicone grease that I use on submersed gaskets (this has nothing to do with cars).



I purchased the silicone based product in good faith from a company that is mentioned quite frequently on this BBS. This is their product description: " Improved [our product] renews and restores dull, chalky and white-stained bumpers and exterior trim moldings OF ANY COLOR. It penetrates into the pores of rubber and vinyl, dissolves old wax residues and restores the trim to a like-new appearance. The new [our product] leaves a bright "wet-look" shine that lasts wash after wash. One of my favorite products."



The only way this product could work as decribed is if it has solvents which in turn must make the product detrimental. Correct?

[Brad B]

Hmm, good point. I`m not sure what kinds of solvents are in.....ok, I have to spill the beans....Black Again...there, I said it. It`s ok. We`re all friends here!;)



But, I see what you mean, and you are probably right to a degree. I have some as well. I think "BA" has some solvent cleaners but it is mostly heavy in oils which do more "covering and filling" than removing and cleaning. It is very thick and heavy.

[harold_h]

4DSC,



Thank you for the search tip. It gave me the info I was looking for :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs :xyxthumbs



I am going to neither confirm nor deny the name of the company or the name of the product I have been discussing in this thread.



After doing my search for "PDMS" I came to the understanding that petroleum distillates and dimethylsilicone are ingredients to aviod, while polydimethylsiloxane is the ingredient to seek.



Based upon the aforementioned criteria I am going to throw away the product in question and seriously question the moral integrity of a company that pushes said product.



I just want the facts not snake oil :)