In humanity's journey to explore extreme environments, silicone rubber is breaking through its physical limits and evolving into new forms that adapt to hellish conditions. This material's exceptional performance in deadly zones such as the  (10,000-meter) deep sea, volcanic lava, and polar ice sheets has made it a key material foundation for expanding human survival frontiers.

Ⅰ. The Pressure Revolution of Abyssal Materials

New Protection for Mariana Trench Detectors. Through molecular design inspired by bionic whale blubber structures, silicone rubber maintains elasticity under 1,100 atmospheres of pressure, with a compression rate just 1/50 that of traditional materials. After China's Striver submersible applied this material, its observation window sealing system successfully withstood the  (super-strong water pressure) at a depth of 10,909 meters, reducing water leakage from 300 ml per hour to undetectable levels.

Even more astonishing is the breakthrough in deep-sea hydrothermal vent exploration. A silicone rubber sampler with a sulfide-resistant nanocoating can operate continuously for 8 hours at 450°C hydrothermal vents. During a scientific expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, this device successfully captured intact hydrothermal microbial communities, with sampling integrity 20 times higher than metal equipment.

Ⅱ. Adaptive Evolution in Extraterrestrial Environments

Major Breakthrough in Mars Dust Storm Protection Technology. The self-cleaning silicone rubber surface, mimicking the micro-nano structure of lotus leaves, reduces dust adhesion to 1/100th of that in Earth's environment. As a result, the solar panel cleaning system of the Perseverance Mars rover reduced weight by 80% while maintaining power generation efficiency above 95%.

Breakthrough in Venus' Hellish Environment Detectors. A silicone rubber composite 掺入 (doped with) tantalum carbide retains sensing functions at 460°C and 92 times atmospheric pressure. In NASA's latest lander design, using this material for the external protective layer is expected to extend operational lifespan from 2 hours to 15 Earth days.

Ⅲ. Ultimate Material for Nuclear Disaster Response

Revolution in Nuclear Reactor Meltdown Emergency Systems. Silicone rubber foam containing boron neutron absorbers can expand into a protective barrier in milliseconds. During the decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, this material successfully sealed a containment crack in Unit 3, immediately reducing radiation leakage by 99.9%.

A more groundbreaking advance is radioactive waste solidification technology. Silicone rubber-based nanocage structures can encapsulate nuclear waste at the atomic level, with radiation-resistant aging performance 1,000 times that of glass solidification bodies. After the UK's Sellafield nuclear waste treatment plant adopted this technology, the safe storage period for high-level radioactive waste was upgraded from tens of thousands of years to millions of years.


3120 Phenyl Methyl Vinyl silicone Gum