New Resin Hybrid Technology for the Coatings Formulator
Silicon is the premier building block of inorganic materials. On earth, it makes up more than 25% of the planet's crust and is the second most common element after oxygen. The strong chemical affinity between silicon and oxygen means that they only occur naturally in the particularly stable form of Si-O-compounds as well as SiO2 as sand and quartz, because silicon forms very stable single bonds with oxygen, which is electronegative.
Analogous to silicone fluid, three-dimensional, brittle silicone resins are created by the polycondensation of trifunctional methyltrichlorsilane [Si(Cl)Me3]. Co-hydrolysis with dimethyldichlorsilane [Si(Cl2)Me2] and tetrachlorosilane [Si(Cl2)], respectively, produces softer or harder resin grades. Polysiloxane resins are formed through hydrolysis, co-condensation and polymerization reactions.