Silicone-fluid maker Gelest Inc. has expanded its brochure "Silicone Fluids: Stable Inert Media."

The 32-page brochure provides extensive performance data and application information that will allow engineers and scientists to make the most appropriate selections from more than100 fluids and materials.

In the brochure, Gelest presents two approaches to selecting the proper silicone fluid for an application. Any of six general fluid classes can be chosen using a property profile-by-class chart to compare specific physical property requirements or by comparing functional and application requirements as detailed in a comprehensive fluid selection guide, which is included. Once the fluid class is chosen, a specific grade can be determined from property tables for that class.

Silicone fluids, the only major class of polymers that are products of inorganic chemistry, have a wide range of unique properties not available with fluids based on petroleum or organic chemistry, according to Morrisville, Pa.-based Gelest. The fluids encompass a broad range of diverse materials with a number of performance characteristics, including wide service temperature range; thermal, shear and dielectric stability; chemical inertness; and low toxicity, among others. These features have facilitated their adoption as heat transfer, dielectric, hydraulic, power transmission and damping fluids.

Silicone fluids also have been incorporated into plastics and rubbers as process and release aids, into coatings for flow and level control, and into process streams as antifoams. Other unique properties have led to their introduction into acoustical applications such as ultrasonic sensor and sonar buoys and their use in fiber optics and optoelectronics.

To obtain a copy of the updated brochure, e-mail ghorvath@gelest.com.

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