The practice of using silicone in encapsulating and potting electronic components is a well established process designed to protect delicate circuitry. This protection may be required for a number of reasons including, but not limited to: mechanical shock, thermal shock, vibration, chemical attack, humidity, extreme temperatures and wide thermal cycles. In addition to providing protection, the encapsulant may also be used to perform other functions, such as thermal transfer and/or light emission.
CHT supply a variety of silicone products:
Although the end function may appear simple and straightforward the operating conditions, component design and production methods often place heavy demands on the encapsulant and require very meticulous product selection and testing. There are a variety of materials on offer including polyurethanes, epoxies, silicones and many other polymers - each system will have advantages as well as limitations. It is therefore, important to fully understand the chemical and physical properties of each system and carefully match these to the requirements of the component and manufacturing processes.
For more information, download our guide to Silicone Encapsulants.
Silicone polymers and elastomers have particular inherent physical properties including:
These natural properties can be further enhanced using fillers and chemical additives to provide additional features when needed, including flame retardancy, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and adhesion. Through the selection of polymers and fillers it is also possible to adjust viscosity and rheology and the final hardness and modulus of the cured rubber. Control of the curing regime and speed can be achieved using silicone chemistry to produce both heat and room temperature cure systems and both 1- and 2-part systems can be supplied. Silicone encapsulants are extremely versatile and provide design engineers with a wide product choice.
There are three key considerations when choosing an encapsulant for any application:
Due to the complexity of product design and the individual manufacturing process, it may not be possible to satisfy exactly all the requirements in every area, so there may well be a need for compromise. It is therefore, important to decide which criteria are essential for product performance and longevity.
We always recommend fully testing the suitability of the material in each given application and production method employed prior to specification. In some cases, it will be possible to provide a bespoke formulation in order to match the design requirements.
CHT technical staff have many years of application based experience and will be happy to help with the selection process.
For further information download our Encapsulants Product Information Sheet.
Code | Description | Request Sample | TDS | SDS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EGel3000 | 2-part silicone gel low viscosity | ||||
EGel3002 | 2 Part silicone gel fast cure | ||||
EGel3003 | 2 Part silicone gel low viscosity soft | ||||
QGel311 | Silicone gel optically clear fast curing | ||||
QLE1102 | 2 Part silicone encapsulant optically clear | ||||
QSil12 | 20:1 Condensation cure silicone encapsulant clear | ||||
QSil214 | Transparent Silicone Elastomer | ||||
QSil216 | 10:1 Addition cure silicone encapsulant optically clear | ||||
QSil229 | 1:1 Addition cure silicone encapsulant optically clear | ||||
QSil550 | 2-Part Addition Cure Encapsulant | ||||
QSil553 | SILCOTHERM 2 Part Addition cure silicone encapsulant | ||||
QSil573 | SILCOTHERM 2 Part Addition cure silicone encapsulant | ||||
SE2003 | SILCOTHERM 2 Part Addition cure silicone encapsulant | ||||
SE2005 | 2 Part Condensation cure silicone encapsulant | ||||
SE2011 | 2-Part Self bonding potting compound | ||||
SE3000 | SILCOTHERM 2 Part Addition cure low viscosity | ||||
Silcoset 101 | 2 Part condensation cure silicone encapsulant high temperature | ||||
Silcoset 105 | 2-part condensation cure silicone encapsulant | ||||
SilSo SE2014 | Silso 2 Part Addition cure silicone encapsulant | ||||
TufGel 330 | Silicone gel tough high purity | ||||
TufGel 331 | Silicone Gel |