MUNICH—Wacker Chemie A.G.'s new Elastosil LR 5040 line of liquid silicone rubber grades fulfills the stringent regulatory requirements that apply to silicone articles in many medical technology applications.
According to Wacker, cured rubber products made of Elastosil LR 5040 feature excellent mechanical properties even without thermal post-treatment, and contain very few volatile substances. This allows manufacturers to eliminate the postcuring step after fabrication in many cases.
Elastosil LR 5040 cures to a translucent elastomer with a volatiles content, without thermal post-treatment, below 0.5 weight percent. In its non-postcured state, the silicone exhibits a high level of tear resistance equivalent to that of postcured high-tear-strength standard materials. It can withstand such mechanical stresses as may occur in the usage of medical devices, for example. Typical applications include anti-colic valves, bottle tops or respirator masks.
