Silicone Testing

Silicones can be challenging to analyze.  Dow Corning’s ability to develop new products and modify existing ones is based in part upon our silicone analytical expertise and advanced instrumentation.  Our analytical group has been characterizing silicon based materials for over 60 years and literally “wrote the book” on analyzing silicones: The Analytical Chemistry of Silicones.   Contact us to help you with silicone testing.

Our scientists use a variety of analytical instruments to characterize silicone materials to better understand the relationships between their chemistry and key application properties. We have a wide range of practical experience in troubleshooting problems from diverse industries – including automotive, electronics, paper, healthcare and specialty chemicals.

Silicone Testing Solutions:

	Measure silicone deposition on hair (PDF size = 538KB)
	Characterize silicone molecular structure
	Silicone analysis to recommend comparable material
	Silicone contamination testing
	Measure silane surface treatment levels
	Measure silicon(e) concentration

Some of the instrument techniques we use to characterize materials include:

• Chemical Structure Identification (PDF size = 163 KB)(Raman, IR, NMR, UV-VIS)
• Chromatography and Separations (GPC, HPLC, IC, GC)
• Mass Spectrometry (PDF size = 180 KB) (GC-MS, LC-MS, FT-MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, GC-TOF-MS)
• Microscopy (optical, AFM, SEM, TEM, laser confocal microscopy)
• Surface Analysis (XPS or ESCA, contact angle, surface tension, interferometry)
• Elemental Testing (WDXRF, ICP-AES, ICP-MS, XRD)
• Thermal Analysis (PDF size = 172 KB) (TGA, DSC, DMA, TMA, Py-GCMS, flashpoint)

Please contact us by e-mail or call one of our global locations to discuss your specific testing needs.

Sources:
A. Lee Smith (ed), The Analytical Chemistry of Silicones, Wiley-Interscience, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York (1991).