How long will a casting, mask or sculpture made out of silicone rubber last?

Article courtesy of Smooth-On, Inc.

If you are looking to make a silicone piece with the longest library life possible, platinum cure (addition cure) silicone is your best choice. Our Mold Star™ series, Rebound™ series, Dragon Skin™ series, Ecoflex™ series, Equinox™ putties, and Smooth-Sil™ series rubbers are platinum-cure systems.

A platinum cured silicone casting, mask, or sculpture will exhibit a very long life span. Pieces made using a platinum cured silicone can last upwards of 45 years. Platinum silicones do not exhibit the same evaporation or breakdown that a tin silicone does.

Platinum cure silicone rubbers are resistant to UV and extreme temperature, and a have virtually no shrinkage. They are resistant to moisture, one of the contributing factors to latex breakdown. In addition, cured platinum silicone will resist oils from handling, and even solvents. Platinum silicones have been used worldwide for displays, props, sculptures, animatronics, and other applications where long term stability is desirable, such as a museum installation.

Few room-temperature curing materials can match the long-term stability of platinum cured silicone rubbers.

Disclaimer

This FAQ article is offered as a guideline and offers possible solutions to problems encountered during mold making and casting. No warranty is implied and it is up to the end user to determine suitability for any specific application. Always refer to the provided Technical Bulletins (TB) & Safety Data Sheets (SDS) before using any material. A small scale test is suggested to determine suitability of any recommendation before trying on a larger scale for any application.

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