Today, with the vigorous development of smart wearable devices, silicone rubber is transforming from an encapsulation material for electronic components to a "smart coating" in the textile industry, endowing garments with functions such as waterproofing, antibacterial properties, and sensing.

The "Breathable Fabric" with Waterproof and Breathable Properties

Traditional waterproof coatings (such as PU) have poor breathability. However, silicone rubber achieves "two-way breathing" through a nanoscale microporous design:

Performance: The moisture permeability reaches 5000 g/m²/24hr, and the water pressure test reaches 10,000 mmH₂O, suitable for outdoor hardshell jackets.

Case: In a -20℃ environment, the internal humidity of a certain brand of down jacket coated with silicone rubber always remains within the comfortable range of 40%-60%.

The "Health Barrier" with Antibacterial and Odor-Proof Properties

The silicone rubber coating added with nano-silver or quaternary ammonium salts has an antibacterial rate of 99.9%:

Application: After using the silicone rubber coating on the inner lining of sportswear, the amount of bacteria growth is reduced by 90%, and the amount of odor generated is reduced by 75%.

Durability: After 50 washings, the antibacterial performance still remains above 85%.

The "Flexible Carrier" of Wearable Sensors

Integrating conductive silicone rubber (with a conductivity of 10 S/cm) into textiles to achieve physiological signal monitoring:

Heart Rate Monitoring: The error of the chest strap sensor is <±2bpm, and it can withstand up to 100 washings.

Strain Monitoring: The silicone rubber strain gauge on the elbow of the sportswear can capture the joint movement angle in real time, with an accuracy of ±5°.

The "Fashion Technology" of Smart Color Change

The photochromic silicone rubber coating can reversibly change color under ultraviolet light irradiation:

Application: A certain brand of sun-protective clothing automatically turns dark in the sun, and the UPF value increases from 30+ to 50+.

Innovation: Combined with a solar cell to achieve the self-powered color-changing function of the garment.

Conclusion

Silicone rubber is reshaping the functional boundaries of textiles with the "coating revolution". From simply keeping warm and covering the body to intelligent interaction, it makes garments become the "intelligent extension" of the human body. In the future, with the development of flexible electronics technology, silicone rubber may promote the comprehensive upgrade of the "wearable smart ecosystem".


Medium and high voltage insulation silicone rubber