How To Select The Optimal Silicone Material For Your Medical Device

Despite wide utility in medical device applications, silicone is more of a niche material than thermoplastics, so general knowledge about its types, properties, and manufacture for use in these applications is less widespread. The maturity of product design tools and manufacturing techniques applied to silicone also tends to trail behind thermoplastics.

Silicone usually excels in patient compatibility, both because of the body’s acceptance of the material and because of the comfort its softness can provide. However, silicone is not as strong as thermoplastics. Often, device OEM datasheets will stipulate material performance criteria that combine the strength of a thermoplastic with the feel of a silicone, sometimes necessitating creation of a bespoke blend of materials.

Material performance usually is gauged via some combination of burst, tensile, and/or physical strength, plus dimensional stability. Dimensional stability tends to improve with the use of materials exhibiting greater durometer hardness and stiffness.