Silicone oil
A silicone oil is any polymerized siloxanes with organic side chains. They are formed of alternating silicon-oxygen atoms (...Si-O-Si-O-Si...) or siloxane, rather than carbon atoms (...C-C-C-C...). Other species attach to the tetravalent silicon atoms, not to the divalent oxygen atoms which are fully committed to forming the siloxane chain. A typical example is polydimethylsiloxane, where two methyl groups attach to each silicon atom to form (H3C)[Si(CH3)2O]nSi(CH3)3. The carbon analogue would be an alkane, e.g. dimethylpropane C5H12 or (H3C)[C(CH3)2](CH3).
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[edit] Applications
Silicone oils are primarily used as lubricants or hydraulic fluids. They are excellent electrical insulators [1] and, unlike their carbon analogues, are non-flammable. Their temperature-stability and good heat-transfer characteristics make them widely used in laboratories for heating baths ("oil baths") placed on top of hotplate stirrers, as well as in freeze-dryers as refrigerants. Silicone oil is also commonly used as the working fluid in diffusion pumps.
Some silicone oils, such as simethicone, are potent anti-foaming agents due to their low surface tension. They are used in industrial applications such as distillation or fermentation where excessive amounts of foam can be problematic. They are sometimes added to cooking oils to prevent excessive frothing during deep frying. Silicone oils used as lubricants can be inadvertent defoamers (contaminants) in processes where foam is desired, such as in the manufacture of polyurethane foam. Silicone oil is also one of the two main ingredients in Silly Putty, along with boric acid.
[edit] Medical uses
Consumer products to control flatus (antiflatulents) often contain silicone oil. Silicone oils have been used as a vitreous fluid substitute to treat difficult cases of retinal detachment, such as those complicated with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, giant retinal tears, and penetrating ocular trauma.[2]
[edit] Automotive use
Silicone oil is commonly used as the fluid in the automobile cooling fan clutch assembly.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Miyahara H, Nakajima A, Wada J, Yanabu S (June 2006). Breakdown Characteristics of Combined Insulation in Silicone Oil for Electric Power Apparatus. "2006 IEEE 8th International Conference on Properties and applications of Dielectric Materials". Properties and applications of Dielectric Materials, 2006. 8th International Conference: 661–664. doi:10.1109/ICPADM.2006.284264. ISBN 1-4244-0190-9.
- ^ Martín-Gil J, Martín-Gil FJ, De Andrés Santos AI, Ramos-Sánchez MC, Barrio-Arredondo MT, Chebib-Abuchala N. (1997). "Thermal behaviour of medical grade silicone oils". J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 42 (2): 151–158. doi:10.1016/S0165-2370(97)00002-8.
- ^ Doremus, R. H. (2002). "Viscosity of silica". J. Appl. Phys. 92 (12): 7619–7629. doi:10.1063/1.1515132.
