Made-to-measure silicon building blocks

The broad spectrum of applications for silicones includes medical implants, cosmetics, hydraulic oils, sealants and corrosion protection—an important topic, in view of global corrosion damage to the tune of about US$ 3.3 trillion per year. To optimize silicon-based synthetic materials for specific applications, made-to-measure chlorosilane building blocks are required in order to produce and crosslink the long-chain polymers. This influences, for example, the material’s viscosity and flow properties. Completely new challenges are emerging in the area of 3-D printing, with which products such as individualized running shoes can be manufactured.