One-part vs. two-part silicone cure
systems
One-part silicone cure
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One-part materials contain all the ingredients needed to produce a cured
material. They use external factors – such as moisture in the air, heat, or the
presence of ultraviolet light – to initiate, speed, or complete the curing
process.
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Typical uses – building sealants, high-consistency rubber (HCR) compounds,
coatings for electronics, medical bonding adhesives
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Advantages – easy to use; low- or room-temperature cure (although, in some
cases, cure can be accelerated by heat)
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Disadvantages – moisture-curing materials may take 24 hours or more to
fully cure; precautions must be taken to protect the material from the cure
initiator prior to application
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Two-part silicone cure
Two-part systems segregate the reactive ingredients to prevent premature
initiation of the cure process. They often use the addition of heat to
facilitate or speed cure.
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Typical uses – high-speed, high-volume operations, such as the application
of silicone release coatings or pressure sensitive adhesives, injection molding
of liquid silicone rubber (LSR), soft skin adhesives (SSAs) for healthcare
applications
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Advantages – longer shelf life, high-speed cure (some materials cure within
seconds), and the ability to carefully control bath life and cure time by
manipulating the formulation
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Disadvantages – mixing required; often requires more sophisticated
processes and formulating/application expertise
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