Product Line

Silicones

Gelest offers inert silicone materials of engineering and design properties for heat transfer, mechanical, lubricating, smart fluid, dielectric, and optical applications. We provide data on thermal, rheological, electrical, mechanical and optical properties of our silicones with viscosities ranging from 0.65 to 2,500,000 cSt.

The silicone product line also contains reactive silicones that can be formulated into coatings, membranes, cured rubbers, and adhesives for mechanical, optical, electronic and ceramic applications. Our product portfolio contains a wide range of functional silicones along with catalysts, crosslinkers, and additives.


Example Applications

See more applications for CASE, life science tools, medical devices, microelectronics, and personal care.

Contact Lenses

Silicone materials are incorporated in contact lenses to enhance oxygen permeability and improve comfort; however, pure silicone backbone lenses are not used due to wetting dehydration, mechanical, and optical problems. Gelest is developing new silicone materials to produce wettable silicone hydrogels with increased formulation flexibility for next generation performance additives.

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Membranes

Membranes are barriers that enable ions, molecules, or particles to pass through in a selective manner. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used as a barrier for liquids and as a permeable path for gaseous elements and compounds. One of the characteristics of silicon chemistry is that the presence of the silicon atom…

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Microfluidics

Microfluidics is the study of fluids and their behavior on the microscale. Since their introduction in the 1980s, microfluidic devices have been incorporated into a wide variety of applications including chemical analyses, DNA chips, and ink-jet printheads. A result of the small size of microfluidic devices is a reduction of…

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Silicone Heat Transfer Fluids

Gelest offers four different classes of silicone fluids: thermal, conventional, fluorosilicone, and low temperature. Thermal silicone fluids are described as aromatic siloxanes. The phenyl groups enhance oxidation resistance, thermal stability, and shear resistance. The phenyl groups offer better protection of the chain Si-O-Si-O by steric hindrance and phenyl itself has…

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Specialty Hybrid Fluids for Personal Care

Gelest specialty and expertise is seen in the distinctive range of fluids we offer. Our SiBrid® fluids (organic-modified siloxanes), such as our diethicones (INCI: polydiethylsiloxane), deliver enhanced organic material compatibility and improved dispersion capability over dimethicone while maintaining the traditional dimethicone feel. These properties are especially beneficial in sunscreens, makeup, and…

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Technical Guides

Visit our technical guides for more information on Gelest chemistry and how to use our materials.

Reactive Silicones

Materials for adhesives, binders, ceramic coatings, dielectric coatings, encapsulants, gels, membranes, optical coatings, photolithography, polymer synthesis, and sealants. Offering silicones with a wide range of functionalities along with catalysts, crosslinkers, and additives. Basic formulation guidelines are included in relevant sections.

Silicone Fluids: Stable, Inert Media

Materials of engineering and design properties for heat transfer, mechanical, lubricating, smart fluid, dielectric, and optical applications.

Optical Materials

Contains preformulated materials that are used as optical encapsulants, optical hard coatings, refractive index matching fluids, and UV active and fluorescent molecular coatings.

Microfluidics

Offering reprographic grade silicones, optical grade silicones, and silicone elastomer fabrication toolkits.

Silanes and Silicones for Epoxy Resins

The outstanding properties of epoxy resins—toughness, rigidity, elevated temperature performance, chemical resistance, and adhesive properties—have enabled their acceptance in a wide range of critical electronic, optical, and aerospace applications. Silicon-based materials play key roles in extending the range of physical…

Cosmetic Fluids

Hybrid fluids combine the properties of organic materials with siloxanes in order to create structures that achieve unique skin feel, improve wear properties and solubility, lower surface tension, enhance dispersion of pigments and fillers, offer compatibility with natural cosmetic ingredients,…

Selected Products

Reactive Silicones (see product selection guide)

Stable, Inert Silicones (see product selection guide)

Performance Products (see product selection guide)