WACKER Advances Biomethanol-Based Solid and Liquid Silicone Rubber Grades at NPE2024

The chemical industry, including WACKER, is committed to reducing its use of fossil raw materials. One effective strategy is to replace these with identical materials from renewable resources, a method best implemented using the mass balance approach. This innovative approach allows manufacturers to process raw materials from fossil-based and renewable sources, later assigning them to specific products according to the proportions in which they were used. The mass balance approach ensures the use of renewable raw materials and verifies the 'bio-based' label, aligning with the industry's interest in resource efficiency and sustainability.

The production of silicone involves two vital raw materials – silicon and methanol. Methanol is first converted to methyl chloride. This is then reacted with elemental silicon via the Müller-Rochow process, resulting in a mixture of various methylchlorosilanes. These materials play a crucial role in the subsequent production process. Silicones based on fossil or plant-based methanol have the same high-quality customers expect from WACKER.

In 2018, WACKER began producing methanol from petrochemical and plant-based resources. The amount of the latter, known as biomethanol, is mass-balanced. WACKER's mass-balancing process is regularly certified by TÜV Nord by the REDcert2 standard. This technique ensures that the amount of eco products sold always corresponds to the amount of biomethanol that goes into the process.

The mass balance approach can also be applied to ready-to-use silicone products. In addition to silicone rubber, these products contain pigments and other organic additives that can be offset using corresponding amounts of biomethanol. Speaking of biomethanol, the REDcert2 standard requires manufacturers to obtain this raw material from renewable resources. The biomethanol that WACKER uses in these processes is derived exclusively from plant residues that are suitable neither for food production nor animal feed.

ELASTOSIL^® eco Portfolio

WACKER already offers a range of eco-grade silicones, including fluids, defoaming agents, fabric softeners, release agents, and sealants.

The ELASTOSIL^® eco family is proud to introduce its newest members: biomethanol-based versions of several silicone rubber compounds. These compounds are designed to meet the highest quality and performance standards. ELASTOSIL® eco LR 5040 is a highly tear-resistant, non-postcuring grade with six different hardness values. Customers can also choose between two lines of solid silicone rubber, each offering exceptional tear-resistance and hardness values to suit various applications, including the regulatory requirements for specific food, medical, and baby care applications.

As part of a live demonstration, a lemon juicer of a food-grade silicone product, SILMIX^® eco R plus TS 40002, made from plant-based methanol, methanol that has not been derived from fossil resources, will be molded.