What Is Silicone Phone Case?
What Is Liquid Silicone
Liquid silicone, also called liquid silicone rubber, is a broadly-used silicon polymer which is composed of silicon, carbon, hydrogen as well as oxygen at the elemental level. At the molecular level, this silicon polymer comprises a silica and oxygen backbone, different from the vast majority of polymers which are made of the carbon backbone. Liquid silicone rubber, if more specifically categorized, can be regarded as an elastomer, therefore it provides durability and elasticity on phone cases.
When was silicon discovered
When it comes to how this material was first found out and used, in fact, it’s developed from solid silicone. Solid silicone-based elastomer was first used in the 1940s by chemists due to its heat-resistant characteristic. Then it takes the dominant position for electric motors and generators insulation as the electrical insulator.
Gradually, with the advance of separating technology, the silicone rubber is separated into a two-part platinum-cured elastomer which is what is called the liquid silicone. Unlike solid silicone which is solid, the liquid silicone is in a liquid state and has high fluidity, higher protection when dropping your phone, making it the perfect material choice for phone cases.
What Are the Properties of Liquid Silicone
The reason why liquid silicone is highly valuable and versatile in a wide variety of industries rests in its special favorable properties. It’s these properties that make it more reliable across a whole spectrum of parts in numerous industries and applications than other materials.
Stable in Extreme Environments
Part of the reason why liquid silicone is highly valuable in numerous industries lies in its stability in extreme environments such as heat, fire, and cold. Completely cured liquid silicone has a general operating temperature of -100 °C to 300 °C, making it tolerant for heat, fire, and cold within this temperature range.
That being said, even when exposed to extreme conditions, liquid silicone can still keep its original shape and retain other physical properties. This property makes the liquid silicone the material of option for industries and applications which require the manufacturing material to be stable even in extreme environments.
Chemically Resistant and Inert
Another property of the liquid silicone which makes it the favorite material of choice for various applications over other manufacturing materials is its chemical resistance. Liquid silicone made of the silicon-based backbone is an inert chemical material, which makes it hypoallergenic and not reacts with other chemicals.
This makes it the primary material of choice for applications that require to be exposed to oils, solvents, acids, and bases. Besides, the chemical resistance also means that liquid silicone is biocompatible and non-toxic, making it safe for items that need to keep contact with food and medical devices.
You can see it being used for kitchen items like baking pans, cupcake liners, rubber spatulas, and more. You can see it being utilized in products for baby care like baby bottle nipples. In the medical industry, you can see it being notably used in the manufacture of prostheses.
What does silicone phone case feel like?
Soft Hand Feel & Comfortable Grip
As the above information indicates, liquid silicone has a translucent and clear appearance. So by using this material, the iPhone case can lend you a soft and smooth hand feel. The gloss of the surface also makes the iPhone case safe from scratches and fingerprints. Furthermore, using liquid silicone which is lightweight for the iPhone case guarantees a comfortable and firm grip of the iPhone.
Shock & Drop Protection
Part of the reason why Apple uses liquid silicone as the main material for the iPhone protective case lies in the flexibility of the liquid silicone. As mentioned earlier, liquid silicone is made of a silica and oxygen backbone called the polysiloxane chain. This chain creates longer bonds, leading to a much flexible polymer.
Therefore, by using liquid silicone as the main material for the iPhone case, the case can be more flexible and tenacious, bringing the phone great protection against sudden dropping, bumping, and shocking.
Water & Moisture Resistant
The water-resistant characteristic is what also makes Apple choose liquid silicone as the material for making the iPhone case. Smartphones or other mobile devices are what we always carry at hand whenever and wherever we are. When being around the water surroundings, we always want our phone which we carry at hand to be water-resistant. By employing waterproof liquid silicone, the iPhone case can protect the iPhone from water and moisture.
Anti-Grease & Anti-Corrosion
As mentioned earlier, liquid silicone is chemically resistant since it’s an inert chemical material. Therefore, being made of the liquid silicone, the iPhone case can safe from oils, solvents, acids, and bases, making it durable to protect the phone.
Electrical Insulation
Liquid silicone is a natural electrical insulator. This dielectric property allows the iPhone case made of liquid silicone to insulate wires, data cables as well as sockets nearby, which can give users a safe iPhone user experience.
Safe and Durable from Over-Heating or Other Extreme Temperatures
As is discussed earlier, liquid silicone is stable even in extreme temperatures. Within the temperature range of -100 °C to 300 °C, the material can still keep its original shape and is powered with other physical properties. This property, on the one hand, makes the iPhone case protect itself as well as the phone from overheating and burning. On the other hand, it allows for a more durable iPhone case.