Posted on 02/18/2021 7:58:44 AM PST by numberonepal
I'm looking for someone that knows chemistry to let me know if there are any adverse reactions when salt and silicone are in contact for extended periods of time. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Ping to you in case you know someone or know the answer.
“Salt and Silicone (2010) - 25 min - Short - Comedy
A dark comedy that explores one man’s mixed feelings
on his girlfriend’s desire to get breast implants.”
Off the top of my head salt yes silicone no.
What did you do?
Look up sodium silicide
Doubtful. Silicone is highly inert, and much scuba and other dive equipment is made from silicone rubber.
Ask Walter White.
Nothing yet. I have a product idea I'm mulling over that would be something similar to sea salt inhalers. I'm thinking of shelf life for packaging. I'd prefer not to use Pyrex as product shrinkage would be an issue.
LOL. I’m NOT making meth.
Is there any electricity involved also?
In general, silicones are resistant to many chemicals, including salt. High voltage insulators may age rapidly in salt water, while they are energized.
OTOH, if the question is will long term contact with silicone effect salt for human consumption, I have no idea, but would take the position that it is guilty until proven innocent. Never do experimental chemistry inside your own body.
Are we making a fish tank or getting breast implants?
I’m thinking of shelf life for packaging.
Use HDPE.
I take it you mean silicone elastomer? If so are you asking about the uncured polymer or cured polymer? If the polymer is fully cured there will be no reaction but silicone elastomers are more porous than others, so a salt solution will enter a about one hundred nanometers into the surface.
If you add the salt, I a assuming you mean NaCl, to the uncured polymer it will not dissolve. You must, however, be careful not to ruin the catalyst for curing silicone. Check to see if yours has a peroxide or platinum catalyst. Then check online to see if your salt will ruin the catalyst. The phenomenon is called catalyst poisoning.
Finally, most household silicones such as caulk are condensation cured, usually losing acetic acid upon exposure to air. In this case you MAY produce some sodium acetate and chlorine gas.
HDPE is a better choice for long term storage. Silicone is quite expensive in comparison and can undergo degradation over time. Dow Chemical Corporation has a white paper on the topic.
I read this purely to see how long it would take for an expert to answer. As with so many special topics on FR, it did not take long.
As someone with a degree in chemistry, I found your question interesting. So I looked it up. According to the chart linked below, silicone has a high chemical resistance to sodium chloride (common salt). It has a resistance rating of 1 (best) on a 1 to 4 scale.
This might not be the definitive answer. But it’s a place to start.
https://mykin.com/rubber-chemical-resistance-chart-5
Beyond my area, but I’m sure others will know. Salt in solution or dry salt?
Stay away from the
Brown Acid!
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