Application Progress and Potential Breakthroughs of Silicone Rubber in the Construction Field
In the construction industry, the performance of materials is directly related to the quality, safety, and service life of buildings. Thanks to its excellent comprehensive properties, silicone rubber has been increasingly widely used in the construction field. From traditional sealing and waterproofing to emerging smart building components, it is constantly promoting the progress of construction technology and showing many potential breakthrough directions.
I. Sealing and Waterproofing Applications
Silicone rubber plays a crucial role in building sealing and waterproofing. Parts of buildings such as doors, windows, curtain walls, and roofs require reliable sealing materials to resist wind and rain erosion and prevent leakage. Silicone rubber sealants have excellent weather resistance and can maintain stable performance under long - term ultraviolet radiation, temperature changes, and humidity fluctuations. It has good adhesion to various building materials such as glass, metal, stone, and concrete, and can form a long - lasting and firm sealing connection. In door and window sealing, silicone rubber sealing strips can effectively block the penetration of rainwater, dust, and air, improve the thermal insulation performance of buildings, and reduce energy consumption. For curtain wall systems, silicone rubber sealants can not only ensure the sealing and waterproofing between panels but also adapt to the slight displacement of buildings under different environmental conditions, preventing sealing failure due to material expansion and contraction. In roof waterproofing projects, silicone rubber waterproof coatings can form a continuous, flexible, and puncture - resistant waterproof membrane on the roof surface, effectively preventing rainwater penetration and extending the service life of the roof. Its good elasticity enables the waterproof membrane to remain intact when the roof base layer undergoes minor deformation, avoiding cracks and resulting leakage.
II. Structural Adhesive Applications
In building structure connections, silicone rubber structural adhesives play an important role. For the structural assembly of glass curtain walls, silicone rubber structural adhesives firmly bond the glass panels to the aluminum alloy frames, not only providing reliable structural support for the glass but also being able to withstand wind loads, seismic effects, and stresses caused by temperature changes. Compared with traditional mechanical connection methods, silicone rubber structural adhesive connections have better integrity and aesthetics, reducing the impact of connectors on the building appearance. At the same time, the high elastic modulus and good fatigue resistance of silicone rubber structural adhesives enable them to remain stable under long - term dynamic loads, ensuring the safety of the building structure. In the connection of prefabricated components of some large - scale buildings, silicone rubber structural adhesives are gradually being applied. It can achieve rapid and accurate connection between prefabricated components, improve construction efficiency, and at the same time ensure the strength and sealing performance of the connection parts.
III. Soundproofing and Vibration - Damping Applications
With the increasing demand for building comfort, soundproofing and vibration - damping have become important considerations in building design. Due to its good elasticity and damping characteristics, silicone rubber shows unique advantages in the field of building soundproofing and vibration - damping. Using silicone rubber sound - insulating pads in parts of buildings such as floor slabs and walls can effectively absorb and block the propagation of sound, reducing noise interference between floors and between indoors and outdoors. The viscoelasticity of silicone rubber enables it to convert sound energy into heat energy and dissipate it, thus achieving a good soundproofing effect. In terms of building structure vibration - damping, silicone rubber vibration - damping bearings are widely used in projects such as bridges and high - rise buildings. These vibration - damping bearings can absorb and dissipate energy through their own deformation during natural disasters such as earthquakes or strong winds, reducing the vibration response of the structure and protecting the safety of the building structure. Silicone rubber vibration - damping bearings have large horizontal deformation capabilities and stable mechanical properties, and can adapt to different earthquake conditions and building structure forms, providing reliable vibration - damping protection for buildings.
IV. Potential Applications in the Field of Smart Buildings
With the rise of the concept of smart buildings, silicone rubber shows great potential application value in this field. Researchers are exploring the development of silicone rubber materials with intelligent characteristics, such as shape - memory silicone rubber and self - healing silicone rubber. Shape - memory silicone rubber can return to a pre - set shape under external stimuli (such as temperature changes). This characteristic can be applied to the ventilation system of smart buildings. For example, when the indoor temperature is too high, the ventilation louvers made of shape - memory silicone rubber can automatically deform and open to increase the ventilation volume and adjust the indoor temperature; when the temperature drops, it can return to its original state to maintain the indoor thermal insulation effect. Self - healing silicone rubber is expected to be applied to the waterproof and sealing systems of buildings. When the building structure has small cracks or damages for various reasons, self - healing silicone rubber can automatically repair the damaged parts, restore its sealing and waterproof performance, greatly improving the durability and reliability of the building and reducing maintenance costs. In addition, by combining silicone rubber with sensor technology, intelligent building materials with environmental monitoring functions can be developed to monitor parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air quality inside the building in real - time and automatically adjust the operating status of building equipment according to the monitoring results, realizing the intelligent management of buildings.
MY 107 Hydroxyl terminated ploymethylsiloxane fluid V5000-V80000
