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Webinar Recording: “LSR Solutions for Compatibility with Fire Retardant Plastics”

June 29, 2023

On April 27, 2023, RDAbbott hosted a webinar titled “LSR Solutions for Compatibility with Fire Resistant Plastics.” In this 50-minute presentation, Dr. Noel Chang, Technical Service and Development Leader for Dow, and Dr. Jessica Ding, Marketing Manager for Dow, introduce SILASTIC™ 9212-50 Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) for sealing that’s compatible with connector housings made of flame-retardant (FR) plastics.

This webinar is part of RDAbbott’s 2023 Webinar Series, which provides technical insights, material updates, and processing recommendations from our supplier partners.

Why You Should Watch and Listen

Self-lubricating LSRs are the material of choice for sealing fire-rated plastic automotive connectors. Recently, however, there have been an increasing number of reports of unexpected seal failure. Researchers theorize that phosphorous-containing flame retardants in plastic connectors may undergo thermal degradation and migration to the silicone elastomer, causing random polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chain scission and crosslinking in a compressed state.

In response to this situation, Dow has developed SILASTIC™ 9212-50 LSR. This new engineering elastomer supports the use of FR-rated plastic materials for automotive connectors such as V0-rated PA6, PA66, and PBT. When in direct contact with FR-rated engineering plastics, SILASTIC™ 9212-50 LSR provides both environmental and electrical isolation.

As compared to competitive products, the key benefits of Dow’s new LSR is:

  • Long-term compression set and sealing force retention with halogen-free fire retardant (HFFR) V0-rated PA6, PA66, and PBT thermoplastics
  • Low compression set without post-cure
  • The same performance and processing expectations as a conventional LSR

Dow SILASTIC™ 9212-50 LSR is also self-lubricating, pigmentable, and injection moldable.

About the Presenters

Dr. Jessica Ding, the Marketing Manager for Dow, is responsible for Dow’s growth strategy for silicone elastomers, which are enabling next-generation mobility and infrastructure in North America. Dr. Ding joined Dow in 2014 and led regional strategy development and implementation in multiple markets, including coatings, personal care, and transportation. She earned a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry from the University of Connecticut and is an MBA candidate at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Dr. Noel Chang is a Technical Service and Development Leader at Dow, based in Midland, Michigan. In her role, she supports the development of silicone elastomers to meet emerging material needs in the automotive and consumer markets. Dr. Chang is an inorganic chemist by training with over 10 years of experience in synthetic design and formulation of silicon-containing systems. She earned a B.S. in chemistry from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

If you’re interested in learning more about LSRs and other high quality silicone materials from Dow, contact us today.
To learn more about the other webinars in RDAbbott’s 2023 Webinar Series, visit RDAbbott.com/news/2023webinars.
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