1. Solid Silicone Materials and Grades

    Click to ExpandSolid-Silicone-Product-Considerations

    ElastaPro makes solid silicone sheet in various grades. Solid silicone grades are primarily made from silica, which contains various chemical components such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and silicon. Solid silicone is a pliable elastomer or rubber ideal for a multitude of applications in the medical, aerospace, automotive, electronics, and food processing industries.

    ElastaPro Silicone Sheeting offers a broad spectrum of solid silicone sheeting that our clients can use for a variety of purposes. These solid silicone products are extremely versatile, flame-retardant, durable, heat-resistant, high-performing, and have low chemical reactivity, making them perfect for your solid silicone needs. Our products can be supplied in either cured sheet or uncured sheet (which is used by fabricators to make their own part constructions). There is no elastomer better in maintaining its physical properties across a broad temperature spectrum, than silicone.

    ElastaPro’s Solid Silicone Grades

    At ElastaPro, we provide the finest silicone products by combining the advantages of high-quality silicone rubber with superior service and technology. Our products can be availed in various grades, sizes, colors, and durometers and are proudly made in the USA.

    Commercial Grade Solid Silicone Sheet

    Ideal for extreme temperature applications, ElastaPro’s commercial-grade silicone sheet provides outstanding gasket and sealing solutions for different industries. This product comes in .010″ to .500″ in thickness and up to 60″ in width. It is available in 20-90 durometer, and colors are customizable.

    General Purpose Grade Solid Silicone Sheet

    Our general purpose grade silicone sheet has a thickness range of .010″ to .500″ and a width of up to 60″ wide, and meets various key industry specifications. These solid silicone products are designed for general applications and offer extreme temperature resistance and a good compression set. General-purpose grade silicone sheets are available in 25-90 durometer and come in many colors.

    FDA Grade (White) Solid Silicone Sheet

    This solid silicone product variation is FDA-approved and meets the CFR 177.2600 and European Union requirements, making it ideal for applications involving repetitive food contact. White FDA-grade silicone sheets from ElastraPro have superior gasket and sealing properties, 30-85 in durometer, and have similar thickness and width as other ElastaPro solid silicone products.

    FDA Grade (Translucent) Solid Silicone Sheet

    Like white FDA-grade silicone, ElastaPro’s FDA translucent silicone sheet follows FDA,CFR 177.2600 and European Union requirements to pass industry standards for food processing applications. Although not clear in appearance, it allows light to pass through its rubber component. This product is perfect as a silicone rubber gasket for applications demanding food-grade materials.

    Electronically Conductive Solid Silicone Sheet

    Typically used in electrical cabinets, PC boards, and RMI/EFI gaskets, electrically conductive silicone is a low-amperage semi-conductive silicone ideal for electrical applications. Our electronically conductive solid silicone sheet comes in .020″ to .375″ thickness, and its only color availability is black.

    Fiberglass Reinforced Solid Silicone Sheet

    The fiberglass-reinforced silicone sheet is widely used in aerospace, automotive, and other industries with demanding specifications due to its exceptional weatherability, resistance to various lubricating oils, and can maintain its physical properties over a wide temperature range. This solid silicone sheet comes in two types — specification and commercial-grade fiberglass reinforced.

    Fluorosilicone Solid Sheet

    With a wide array of available thicknesses and widths, ElastaPro’s fluorosiliconee solid sheet is the perfect silicone product for the aerospace, military, and automotive industries. This silicone variation can weather and dilute numerous chemicals, including acids and alkalines, petroleum oils, hydrocarbon fuels, diester, and silicone oils.

    Health Care (USP Class VI & ISO 10993) Solid Silicone Sheet

    USP Class VI silicone is specially designed for medical devices and applications that last less than 29 days in the human body and demand additional certification. Our healthcare solid silicone sheets are made-to-order with a range of .010″ to .500″ in thickness and up to 60″ wide.

    High Strength Grade Solid Silicone Sheet

    High-strength silicone sheet is designed for applications that need more robust physical properties. It has FDA CFR 177.2600 certification that guarantees the product can meet high-strength specifications required by various industries.

    Medium Strength Grade Solid Silicone Sheet

    Available in 25-85 durometers, medium strength silicone sheets are the perfect choice for applications needing higher physical properties than general-grade silicones. This product has a 60″ width and a thickness range of .010″ to .500″.

    Extreme Flame Retardant Solid Silicone Sheet

    Our Extreme Flame Retardant Silicone Sheeting is designed for applications needing High Flame Resistance, and a UL 94V0 Yellow Card listed material. It is easily die-cut and provides a superior gasket and sealing solution. Thicknesses from .010” to .500” thick. Widths up to 60” wide. Due to the unique chemistries of this material, the product is black in color.

    Extreme High-Temperature Solid Silicone Sheet

    Extreme high temperature silicone uses the latest Heat Stabilizer Technology to generate higher temperature endurance than standard and general purpose silicone sheets. Extreme high temperature solid silicone sheet is available in a broad spectrum of colors with a .010″ to .500″ thickness range.

    Extreme Low-Temperature Solid Silicone Sheet

    Extreme low temperature silicone is applicable for industries with extremely low temperatures, like aerospace, defense, and cryogenics. This is a made-to-order material and comes in many available colors.

    High Strength / Extreme Low Temperature

    ElastaPro’s high strength extreme low temperature silicone sheet is designed for aerospace, defense, and cryogenics industries that demand high tensile strength and endurance to extremely low temperatures.

    Metal Detectable Silicone Sheet

    For industry applications that require additional safety — like food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, and others — our metal detectable silicone sheet is the best silicone choice as it boosts safety and lowers downtime by quickly sequestering seal fragments in-process. This product is available in opaque colors.

    Need Solid Silicone Grades?

    ElastaPro Silicone Sheeting provides a vast array of silicone specifications to our clients worldwide. Our extensive field experience and years of acquired knowledge allowed us to deliver outstanding results to our customer partners with varying industrial requirements.

    Whatever your silicone needs are, ElastaPro can help! Contact us today to learn more about our innovative silicone solutions.

  2. Extreme High Temperature Silicone Sheeting

    July 2022 was the third-hottest July on record in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Here in Southern California where ElastaPro is located, inland regions have seen temperatures exceed 100°F this August.

    Maybe it doesn’t get that hot in your backyard, but there are plenty of places indoors that do – and handling the heat isn’t just a summertime challenge. For example, the gaskets and seals on engines, pumps, compressors, and appliances all need high-temperature resistance.

    Standard silicone elastomers are a great choice for temperatures up to 500°F, but what if you need solid sheeting for extreme heat? From automobiles to aerospace and aviation, there are plenty of applications for higher-temperature materials.

    Extreme high-temperature grade silicone sheeting from ElastaPro uses high-quality heat stabilizers, including our own ESSHTA technology, which is rated up to 600°F/300°C. These Made in USA materials are great for die cutting and are available in:

    • 55 or 60 durometer
    • thicknesses from 0.10″ to .500″
    • widths up to 60″
    • various color and catalyst options

    Download the datasheet to learn more, or contact us with questions.

    Enjoy the rest of your summer – and stay cool in the heat.

  3. Silicon: Our Most Valuable Material Isn’t a Precious Metal

    Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. From jewelry to electronics, these precious metals are rare and have great economic value. Silicon metal isn’t precious, and its ingredients are commonly found in Earth’s crust. Yet, silicon metal is incredibly valuable because it’s a major ingredient in silicone rubber, solar panels, electric vehicles, semiconductor chips, aluminum, defense technologies – and much more.

    Today, China refines 70% of the world’s silicon metal. The United States refines only 5%. Although the U.S. government is recognizing the importance of increasing our refining capacity, it takes years to build silicon metal refineries – and the refining process requires a great deal of energy. Meanwhile, demand for silicon metal is expected to grow 50% over the next 5 to 10 years.  

    Do we want to depend on China for our supply of silicon metal? For that matter, do we want to depend on overseas suppliers for PDMS, an important member of the silicone family? Most PDMS production has left North America for Asia, but demand for silicone keeps growing. That’s why members of the silicone industry, myself included, are asking the U.S. government to take bold action.

    What can you do as a silicone buyer? Whenever possible, please choose products and materials that are Made in USA. Your buying decisions will help spur investments in domestic capacity, and you’ll get quality silicones with ingredients you can trust.

  4. Silicone Supply Insights

    Everybody’s talking about silicone supply, but elastomers that don’t meet specifications aren’t the right way to meet demand. Don’t let them put your projects at risk.

    ElastaPro tests the physical properties for each and every lot of all of our sheet materials. Our in-house testing laboratory can provide you with test results for specifications such as:

    • durometer
    • tensile strength
    • tear strength
    • percent elongation
    • fluid & heat aging and much more.

    Recently, our in-house lab added a third Tensometer and a more sophisticated Shore A Durometer instrument for the most accurate results. ElastaPro also sends samples to third-party accredited laboratories to confirm the results of our own testing.

    The benefits don’t end there. All of our silicones are Made in the USA. We also have a large selection of stocked items and can take you from lab batch to large-scale production.

    Are you concerned about your silicone supply? Let us know what you need.

    Contact us for more information, or to place an order. Follow us on LinkedIn, too.

  5. Silicone Supply Chain Insights

    Looking for silicone supply chain insights? Have you ever heard the expression “can’t see the forest for the trees”? It happens when the details of a problem are so intense that it’s hard to look at the situation as a whole. By changing your focus, however, you can see things in a new way.


    The silicone shortage is no exception. Buyers are worried about supplies and engineers are excited about new applications. So when I participated in a Silicone 2021 Livestream for Rubber and Plastics News (RPN), both topics (and others) were on the agenda.

    Silicone Supply Chain Insights

    RPN has made this on-line event available but you’ll need to complete a short form.Listen to the Recording

  6. Metal Detectable Silicone Rubber Sheets

    Metal detectable silicone rubber sheets make it easier for food processors to spot contamination caused by silicone seals. Because they are metal-impregnated, these elastomers let manufacturers use in-line metal detection systems to get fast, accurate alerts about the presence of silicone seal fragments in food products.

    ElastaPro’s metal detectable silicone rubber sheets meet FDA CFR 21 177.2600 requirements for repeated food contact. These gasket materials come in various colors and are supplied as cured sheeting and uncured compound. Gasket fabrication methods for solid silicone sheeting include die cutting and water jet cutting.

    This tasteless, odorless, and FDA compliant silicone is proudly Made in the USA and fabricated with high-quality and certified raw materials. In addition to food processing, applications, metal detectable silicone sheets from ElastaPro can be used in beverage, dairy, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

    Contact us to learn more, or to place an order. Follow us on LinkedIn, too.

  7. General Purpose Silicone Sheets

    General purpose grade silicone sheets from ElastaPro have well-known silicone rubber characteristics and come in durometers from 30 to 80 (Shore A). This solid silicone sheeting from ElastaPro can be used in silicone rubber gaskets, rubber silicone rings, or custom silicone parts. Gasket fabrication methods include die cutting and water jet cutting.

    General purpose solid silicone sheets from Elasta Pro meet AA-59588 Class 2A/2B, ASTM D2000, and AMS33XX specifications for aerospace and industrial applications. At a time when silicones are in short supply, we invite you to learn more about these materials and how ElastaPro builds long-term business relationships.

    Contact us for more information, or to place an order. Follow us on LinkedIn, too.

  8. Flame Retardant Silicone Sheets

    Flame retardant silicone sheets from ElastaPro resist the spread of flame and fire. They are used in applications that require a UL 94 V0 solid silicone sheeting. Because these elastomers produce low smoke density, they are used for sealing and insulation in in rail cars, airplane interiors, and with marine transport applications.

    Flame retardant silicone sheeting can be fabricated into rubber gaskets through die cutting or water jet cutting. This solid silicone sheeting comes in thicknesses from .010” to .500” and are available in widths up to 60”.  ElastaPro’s flame retardant silicone sheets have different hardnesses and come in 60 durometer and 65 durometer (Shore A).

    Importantly, this specifications grade material from ElatsaPro has a UL 94 V0 Yellow Card on file with Underwriters Laboratories (UL). It also meets FAR 25.853 flammability requirements for aircraft compartment interiors. FAR 25.853 is a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test to determine the flammability of materials used in airplane interiors, including both cabin and cargo compartments.

    Contact us for more information, or to place an order. Follow us on LinkedIn, too.

  9. Silicone Demand is Rising. Now What?

    Silicone demand is rising at a time when major suppliers are warning customers about longer lead times and tightening supply constraints. The causes include an end to COVID-related slowdowns, a shortage of steel, and a rising tide of shipping delays. Whether these delays occur on land because of bad weather or at sea because there aren’t enough personnel in port to receive cargo, silicone buyers are concerned.

    During my two decades in the silicone rubber business, I’ve seen many supply chain issues. What we are experiencing in 2021 will pass as well. The factors that are driving today’s supply constraints are different than in 2018, a shortage you may recall. Back then, there wasn’t enough capacity to meet global demand for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the basic building block of silicone rubber.

    The good news in 2021 (and we’d all like some good news, wouldn’t we?) is that we expect silicone supply to stabilize this year. In fact, we can anticipate some supply chain normalcy beginning in Q3. In the meantime, however, silicone buyers can anticipate longer lead times and potential price increases as major suppliers look to meet a post-COVID rebound in demand.

    Here’s some more good news, especially if you remain concerned about silicone demand. Current silicoine demand levels are not, in my opinion, significantly higher than they were before COVID-19 (other than demand for healthcare elastomers). Therefore, the major suppliers are simply playing catch-up rather than trying to add significant capacity. These suppliers do a great job at managing flow, but the current situation is like a long and heavy train. Once stopped, it takes a while for everything to start moving again.

    What does this mean for you? Please know that ElastaPro continues to work very closely with our supplier partners to secure raw materials for solid silicone sheeting and silicone compounds. At the same time, we’re doing all we can to control costs. Silicone may be in short supply today, but that won’t last forever. What’s built-to-last, however, are supplier relationships based on trust.

    Contact us for more information, or to place an order.

  10. Silicone Gasket Materials for Die Cutting

    Silicone gasket materials for die cutting come in these grades and types.

    At ElastaPro, thicknesses for silicone gasket sheets range from .010″ to .500″ and in widths up to 60″. The silicone gasket materials for die
    cutting that we supply also support water jet cutting and other gasket fabrication methods.

    Contact us for more information, or to place an order. Follow us on LinkedIn, too.