HEAT TRANSFER AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN LIQUID SILICONE RUBBER MOLDING.

This study has used a heat transfer model to describe the cure of liquid silicone rubbers. The model shows that cure always starts from the wall and will continue during cooling. Thick parts may not be totally cured upon demolding, although the material near the wall has reached a desirable mechanical strength. Since silicone rubbers gel fast at high temperature, mold filling problems may occur for the thin and long molds, especially at high mold temperatures.