Silicone Free Tests

Silicones are polymers made from silicone, carbon and oxygen and have very desirable properties for use in industrial lubricants, mold release agents and greases, especially materials that can withstand high temperatures. However, some of the same attractive properties are highly undesirable in other applications, such as applying painted or dipped coatings or applying adhesives.

Silicone inhibits coating adhesion and generally prevents the formation of a strong bond between substrates. Therefore, it is undesirable in some applications. Silicones' high degree of chemical inertness, thermal stability, and resistance to oxidation is also a problem, as silicones are difficult to remove. In industrial applications that require workers to wear protective gloves when performing operations where silicone is problematic, it is often necessary to confirm that this substance is not present in gloves. Such applications include cleanroom work and paint spraying.

Silicone contamination can result from many different stages in the glove manufacturing process. This is due to lubricants in the machinery used, machinery used in the dipping process for dipped gloves, or contamination during the final glove packaging stage. In order to determine whether there is silicone on the surface of the gloves, tests in accordance with international standards are carried out in advanced laboratories. The generally adopted approach is to extract a sample from the palm of the gloves with petroleum ether (a volatile organic solvent) in an ultrasonic bath. The solvent is separated from the glove material and concentrated to dryness at room temperature. The dried residue is then dissolved in a small volume of petroleum ether and analyzed by liquid Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Meanwhile, silicones are frequently used in the cosmetic industry as they make the skin feel like silk. It is preferred especially in shampoos for many reasons such as waterproofing and moisture protection. The important point here is that silicones are polymeric, not elementary. Silicon analysis cannot be done by looking only at elemental silicon. Silicones are a family of polymers with many types. It can be said that it is non-silicone only by looking at polymer silicones. Silicones, which are frequently used in cosmetics, have recently been criticized for their potential to harm people and the environment, and silicone-free products have become popular.

Our organization also provides silicone-free testing services with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.