MUNICH—Wacker Chemie A.G. will present a new flame-retardant solid silicone rubber for the rail industry next month at K 2019, to be held in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Elastosil R 771, available since 2018, meets the fire-safety codes applicable for all rolling stock in the European Union, according to a statement issued by Wacker. The new, solid silicone enables manufacturers to produce rolling-stock components that are compliant with the R1 requirement set of the European fire-safety standard EN 45545-2, which came into effect across Europe last year.
According to the German material supplier, Wacker's existing product portfolio, which includes liquid and solid silicone rubbers, already is certified for a large portion of the applications mentioned in EN 45545-2.
However, the new grade was specifically developed to allow manufacturers to produce large-format bellows and profiles in compliance with the new fire-safety codes.
Silicone elastomers are inherently fire-resistant and generate no toxic soot in case of a fire. They also are halogen-free, and therefore emit no hydrogen chloride when they burn.
Due to their low smoke toxicity silicones are used increasingly to deliver maximum safety, Wacker noted.
Wacker also expects the product to be used in the construction segment, where EU fire-safety codes are becoming increasingly stricter.
The product, Wacker said, is especially suitable for use in parts of the building that are highly exposed to fires such as fire curtains, insulation, and seals for windows and doors.