Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
web
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • International Elastomer Show
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • ITEC
    • Opinion
    • Technical Notebooks
    • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Starting young: Rubber Division targets high schools to fill talent gap
      ChemSpec enjoying busy 2019 with new agreements, division
      view gallery
      18 photos
      Rubber Division honors leaders, students at Business and Awards Meeting
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Rubber Division wraps up 2019 International Elastomer Conference
    • As e-commerce grows, companies seek best ways to get products to customers
      ContiTech acquires CRP's belt kits program
      Firestone air spring looks to lighten the load in China
      Auto parts makers pay $23 million to settle price fixing case
    • As e-commerce grows, companies seek best ways to get products to customers
      Steelastic names new president
      Tyromer appoints chair of board
      In the workplace, two languages are spoken
    • As e-commerce grows, companies seek best ways to get products to customers
      Reveyron partners with Beltservice for distribution
      ContiTech acquires CRP's belt kits program
      Firestone air spring looks to lighten the load in China
    • Maroon unit Addipel moves to larger site in Ohio
      AMBA files formal request to bring back tariffs on Chinese molds
      Corporate responsibility a global venture for Chemours
      Steelastic names new president
    • Steelastic names new president
      Tyromer appoints chair of board
      Kent Elastomer promotes two
      3D specialist Carbon hires former DuPont CEO Kullman as new leader
    • AMBA files formal request to bring back tariffs on Chinese molds
      Auto parts makers pay $23 million to settle price fixing case
      USTMA aims to raise scrap tire recovery rate
      Aeolus, Onyx discussing truck, bus tire joint venture in Sri Lanka
    • Goodyear finds traction with soybean oil
      Cassioli expands with sales office in Alabama
      Rodolfo Comerio looks forward as it celebrates past
      Editorial: Innovation often follows its own path, timetable
    • Column: Lessons from Best Places to Work
      Editorial: Cooper Standard a sign of changing automotive times
      Editorial: Hose industry makes big strides in safety focus
      Column: Meeting new faces at Rubber Expo
    • SSBR, bio-sourced plasticizer for conveyor belt use
      EPDM solution for automotive dense weatherstrip
      High heat resistant EPDMs for auto hose uses
      Rubber standards in today’s world economy
    • Sponsor Content
      Rubber in Transportation and Tire
      Sponsor Content
      Rubber in Wire and Cable
      Sponsor Content
      Process Control Systems Ensure Consistency and Lot Traceability While Protecting Proprietary Formulations
      Sponsor Content
      Reasons for Using Performance Additives
  • Blogs
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
    • New Products: Master Bond rolls out thermally conductive epoxy sealant
      New Products: Lanxess introduces vulcanization accelerator
      Covestro's CO2 technology earns Germany's President's prize
      New Products: LSR 3D printing technology spotlighted at K Show
    • Wacky World of Rubber: Floating ideas for the future of mobility
      Wacky World of Rubber: Goodyear, rubber industry make parade part of Thanksgiving traditions
      Wacky World of Rubber: How to make your own Halloween mask
      Wacky World of Rubber: 'Ode to a Tire'
  • Newsletters
    • Rubber in Automotive
    • Silicone News
    • Latex News
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • As e-commerce grows, companies seek best ways to get products to customers
      ContiTech acquires CRP's belt kits program
      Firestone air spring looks to lighten the load in China
      Auto parts makers pay $23 million to settle price fixing case
    • Starting young: Rubber Division targets high schools to fill talent gap
      Column: Lessons from Best Places to Work
      New Products: LSR 3D printing technology spotlighted at K Show
      Rubber parts makers invest in Central, Eastern Europe
    • Starting young: Rubber Division targets high schools to fill talent gap
      Kent Elastomer promotes two
      Corrie MacColl details landmark collaboration in Cameroon
      Natural rubber producers signal decline in production
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Directory
  • Resources
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Data Store
    • Digital Issue
    • White Papers
  • Events
    • RPN Conferences
    • RPN Live
    • Events Calendar
    • Submit an Event
    • Webinars
    • Past Events
  • Advertise
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
March 18, 2019 02:00 AM

Elkem Silicones shows off LSR Select at MD&M West

Chris Sweeney
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Chris Sweeney, Rubber & Plastics News
    From left: Chris York, North American president for Elkem Silicones; Todd Lawrence, scientist/technical service representative; Julie Harber, business development manager for REI and LSR Select; and Mehdi Abbadi, global business unit director for eXtensio Elastomers, at Elkem's demonstration booth for LSR Select.

    ANAHEIM, Calif.—Elkem Silicones USA Corp. has been working on its new process for liquid silicone rubber for a few years, and now it's ready to show the industry.

    The company officially launched LSR Select, a process focused on producing LSRs more efficiently by being able to manage cure speed. It also allows molders more options as Elkem's new process can blend durometers to an exact number. For instance, instead of scaling up by 10, the firm can precisely mix materials to create an exact Shore-A hardness.

    Elkem demonstrated the process at the recent Medical Design & Manufacturing West show in Anaheim, Calif.

    "This is really game changing for the marketplace because there's a lot of two-component material that people would like to have overmolded to liquid silicone rubber," said Chris York, North American president for Elkem Silicones. "It's been impossible to do that in the past because the temperature would degrade the plastic. There are a lot of unique things material science people in the industry can start to think about doing to enhance the performance value of their parts with liquid silicone rubber."

    Getting ratios to be exactly perfect to have full utilization of the silicone product is an ongoing issue with many molders, York said. A traditional LSR process takes two components and flows them through a pump into a static mixer.

    What LSR Select does is switch when the catalyst and inhibitor are mixed. Instead of mixing a Part A and Part B together, the molder takes an LSR compound that contains the minimum amount of inhibitor in the base chemistry. That is then mixed in-line with whatever additional inhibitor is needed, followed by a platinum catalyst immediately before molding. The result is molders now have control of how much inhibitor and catalyst are injected in-line to optimize cure kinetics and efficiency.

    Elkem developed the system and provided the chemistry, then partnered with Elmet to develop the machinery. LSR Select went operational at Elkem's York facility in the summer of 2017.

    "Now we want to get the touch and feel in with the industry," York said. "People that have been using liquid silicone rubber for the last 20-30 years are used to waking up in the morning, using a two-component material and producing parts. That has worked really well, but now we can actually change the game and enhance their productivity, improve their cost positions and put them in a position to now uniquely develop an end part that's different from others that they're competing with on the marketplace."

    Chris Sweeney, Rubber & Plastics News

    Elkem Silicones USA Corp. showcased its new liquid silicone rubber process, LSR Select, at MD&M West in Anaheim, Calif.

    York added that those efficiency improvements vary depending on the part and the compound used. But in general, LSR Select provides a minimum of 25 percent productivity improvement in cure speed, which York said has been enhanced up to more than 50 percent on some occasions.

    Elmet's technology also has allowed for LSR Select to let molders custom compound utilizing different streams, York said. The ability to zero in on a Shore-A hardness is also generating interest among its customer base.

    "In the heat cured rubber industry, it's very common to custom compound," said Mehdi Abbadi, global business unit director for Elkem's eXtensio Elastomers. "You can tweak any formulation, take a base and add any additive you want. In the LSR industry, you had one choice, A and B. You mix them, and you have one set of products. What we are giving with LSR Select is to give customers an option to go to custom compounding with LSRs."

    With silicone capacity tightening globally, molders are looking for every opportunity to lower costs for their products without sacrificing margin. York said the firm also is seeing increased demand for low temperature molding because now medical devices are being combined with drugs and electronics.

    "Our game-changing opportunity with this is to bring our materials, which we believe are premium in the marketplace, with an enhancement through LSR Select," York said. "We can produce very precision-controlled products."

    The firm's site in York, S.C., also has continued to grow. York said employment has been growing by about 10-15 percent per year at the facility, which launched at 85 people seven years ago.

    "We've been advancing in York with additional employment, especially in research and development and engineering," York said. "Business has been strong and we expect it to continue to grow."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber & Plastics News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber & Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber & Plastics News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    web
    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Contact the Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News Europe
    • Plastics News China
    • Plastics & Rubber World
    • LSR World
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Autoweek
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • International Elastomer Show
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • ITEC
      • Opinion
      • Technical Notebooks
      • HEXPOL Sponsored Content
    • Blogs
      • Products
      • Wacky World of Rubber
    • Newsletters
      • Rubber in Automotive
      • Silicone News
      • Latex News
      • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Photo Galleries
    • Directory
    • Resources
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
      • Data Store
      • Digital Issue
      • White Papers
    • Events
      • RPN Conferences
      • RPN Live
      • Events Calendar
      • Submit an Event
      • Webinars
      • Past Events
    • Advertise