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Silicone Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Coating and Curing

Discover silicone solutions

Silicone pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) have stability and flexibility that is unmatched by organic PSAs. Discover why silicone PSAs can best meet your diverse application needs.

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Silicone PSA

Organic PSA

Type (Cure/Material)

Addition

BPO

Acrylic

Rubber

Heat Resistance

200°C

200°C

150°C

100°C

Low Temp, Resistance

-50°C

-50°C

0°C

0°C

Weather Resistance

Excellent

Excellent

Good

Poor

Adhesion to PTFE

High

High

Poor

Poor

Adhesion to Si Rubber

Middle to High

High

Poor

Poor

 

*Comparison for reference only with typical material testing under specific conditions.

Explore the potential

Gain insights into how our high-performance line of silicone pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) can be adapted to your needs and enhance your applications.

Substrates for Silicone PSAs:

  • Glass
  • Teflon film
  • Paper
  • Mylar PET film
  • Fabric
  • Kapton polyimide film
  • Plastics
  • Glass cloth
  • Silicone rubber
  • PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
  • Silicone-varnished cloth
  • FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene)
  • Silicone/glass laminates
  • Aluminum foil
  • Polyester
  • Stainless steel

Key curing considerations

Whatever your application needs are, Dow’s globally trusted pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) will help you achieve your most challenging design goals. Read more to discover which cure system will provide you with the best results.

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Peroxide Cure

Platinum Cure

Curing Temperature

High Temperatures

Low Temperatures

High Temperature Properties

Very Good

Good

Track and Adhesion

Good

Superior

Priming

Recommended

Not Required

Properties Formulation and Condition Dependency

Both

Poor

Easily Poisoned

No

Yes

Clear, uncured liquid silicone rubber (LSR) is poured from a container. Product promotion / Materials News
  • Requires the addition of a platinum catalyst to develop PSA properties
  • Coating bath should be used within six hours of catalyst addition
  • Adhesives can be cured in vented, continuous coating ovens at low temperatures (80°C, 176°F)
  • On flexible substrates, typical cure speeds range from 1 minute at 125°C (257°F) to 2 minutes at 100°C (212°F)
  • Changing the catalyst level has little impact on the tack, adhesion or cohesive strength of the cured adhesive

 

Glass eyedropper dispenses silicone antifoam into a foam covered liquid. The liquid is red. Reference AV03988 Edited by AGP For use on Dow Corning 102F additives website. "Power up your coatings with effective foam control."
  • A benzoyl peroxide catalyst is typically used to develop PSA properties
  • Most consistent results are achieved by using 98% benzoyl peroxide; and a complete blending of peroxide and adhesive is best obtained through a 10% solution of peroxide in toluene
  • Coating bath should be used a day after mixing, as peroxide loses its activity quite rapidly in solvent
  • Peroxide concentration can be varied from 0.5% to 3.0% (based on adhesive solids)
  • Increasing peroxide concentration will decrease tack and adhesive strength, but increase cohesive strength of the cured coating
  • Mixing is necessary to achieve uniform results in the finished product
  • Curing the adhesive is a two-step process that requires the use of graded temperatures
Close up of laboratory flasks containing blue colored liquid. / Dreamstime Image #3755928
  • To ensure proper curing, solvent removal is need after applying the adhesive to the backing material
  • Recommended temperatures range from 65°C to 93°C (150 to 200°F)
  • Higher removal temperatures can cause the peroxide to decompose and crosslink the solvent into the adhesive
  • After the solvent is removed, a tacky, uniform film of adhesive is left on the backing
  • Heat curing can further strengthen the film’s adhesiveness and cohesiveness
  • The amount of cure depends on several factors, including the type of catalyst, equipment and backing material
Recycled paper background; Shutterstock ID 126214400; PO: redownload; Job: redownload; Client: redownload; Other: redownload
  • The evaporation of volatile silicone in the curing oven can cause the formation of oven dust
    • Two possible ways to reduce this problem: Select a silicone PSA with lower volatile silicone conten
    • Use ramped oven zones (oven zones with temperatures that get progressively hotter)
This is an updated version of AV13259. Kevin Houle and Dave Dobson applying sealant for solar rail bonding at the Freeland Solar Application Center.
  • For the manufacture of self-wound tapes or laminate constructions with backings such as polyester, Kapton®, Teflon® and other plastic films, the use of a primer may be required to improve anchorage of the cured adhesive to the backing
  • Good anchorage reduces the possibility of adhesive transfer during unwind and ensures clean slitting operations and clean removability following masking
Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA)-coated tapes and films on a white background. Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) Fluids and Emulsions/IBU C

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