What's the Difference Between Silicone & Latex

What is the difference between Silicone and Latex? These two materials are common in the market, have full elasticity, and are widely used in mattresses, daily necessities, medical care and other fields. But how to tell which silicone latex is better? How to decide on the application? This article will analyze with you what are the differences in silicone latex? And share the industries where these two materials can be applied, to help you make a better choice for your products.
 

What are the differences in silicone latex? The nature of composition

The difference between silicone latex and latex can be distinguished from the way of composition: silicone rubber is made of silicon dioxide, while latex is made of resin. The way to distinguish between these two materials is very simple! As long as you stretch it, you can know that latex is usually the stronger the pulling force and the better the elasticity. In addition, there are actually many differences between silicone latex, which we will introduce in detail below:
 

Silicone Rubber

Silica gel is made of silicon dioxide hydrate plus sodium silicate, then washed and dried. Because of its high stability, waterproof and electrical resistance, and no toxicity, it is widely used in various industries. Silicone rubber can be divided into two types: ordinary silicone rubber and platinum silicone rubber due to the difference of imported materials:
 

Ordinary Silicone Rubber

Generally, silicone rubber is a synthetic polymer composed of silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen elements. Because of its stable chemical properties, it is widely used in the coating of gaskets, hoses, and electronic parts.
〈Extension Reading：What You Should Know About Silicone Rubber〉
 

Platinum Silicone Rubber

Different from ordinary silicone rubber, Platinum silicone rubber is obtained by secondary curing of silicon dioxide through high-temperature platinum. Not only is the texture more flexible than ordinary silicone rubber, but also because of its excellent stability, it can withstand a wide range of temperature differences (-40°C to 230°C) with chemical stimulation.

〈Extension Reading：What is platinum silicone and how safe it is?〉

 

Latex

What are the differences between silicone latex? That's where the ingredients come from! Unlike silica gel, latex is a kind of emulsion mixed with microparticle polymers. It can be obtained by extracting tree sap, and its ingredients are more natural. But the cost of natural latex is higher, so there is also artificial latex formed by chemical industry now. Below we divide latex into three types from the composition and ratio: artificial latex, synthetic latex, and natural latex. Let's take a look at these differences!
 

Artificial Latex

atex is composed of polybutadiene, styrene, butadiene, and foaming agent. Because it is made of all chemicals, its durability is low, and bad materials will have a pungent odor. At present, artificial latex is mostly used in latex toys and latex clothing because of its low cost.
 

Synthetic Latex

Synthetic latex is actually made by mixing artificial latex with natural latex. It can not only have the elasticity and flexibility of natural latex, but also have the hypoallergenicity of artificial latex. The cost is also quite approachable, and it is a favorite material used by many mattress manufacturers.
 

Natural Latex

Natural latex is currently the most natural rubber material, which is extracted from tree sap and added with foaming agent. Natural latex has good support and elasticity, and is a favorite mattress material for many consumers. But pay special attention, natural latex is susceptible to chemical stimulation, such as acid corrosion, sun exposure aging, so you need to add anti-aging agent to improve the durability of the material.

 

comparison chart of Silicone rubber and Latex

 

The difference between silicone rubber and latex in the scope of application

Through the above introduction, we roughly understand that most of the differences in silicone latex lie in the nature and composition. Since there are differences, the application ranges of these two materials will also be different. Below we sort out the application ranges of silicone rubber and latex. Help everyone understand it better:
 

Silicone rubber application range

Silicone rubber has high chemical resistance and a wide range of temperature resistance. It is often used in medical, food, baby products, automobiles, electronics, aerospace and other fields. We will list the details individually:
 

Medical Industry

Both silicone rubber and latex can be used in medical products, but silicone rubber is used in a wider range. For example, medical consumables include silicone breathing masks, silicone infusion tubes, orthodontic braces, etc. It will also be used in the range of artificial prostheses, such as endonasal splints, cardiac pacemakers, cardiac stents, etc.
 

Culinary Industry

Since silicone rubber itself does not contain plasticizers and bisphenol A that is harmful to the human body, and can also withstand high temperatures, it is often used on tableware such as cake molds, spatulas, bowls and plates that come into contact with food.
 

Baby Nursing Industry

When the baby is going through the oral stage, parents will worry about whether the items put into the baby's mouth are safe and non-toxic. The stability of the platinum silicone material and the advantages of not releasing toxic substances are very suitable for the production of baby products. Such as pacifiers, bottle nozzles, toys, etc., are all applications of platinum silicone rubber.
 

Automotive Industry

The high heat resistance of silicone rubber is also favored by the automotive industry. The temperature of the general car hood is about 80~90°C, while the maximum temperature that silicone rubber can withstand is about 230°C, which is very suitable for use in engine cover parts; In addition, the sealing strip in the gap of the car door is also often made of silicone material.
 

Electronic Industry

The stable and durable silicone material is also often used in parts in the electronics industry. For example, dashboards, buttons, dust-proof gaskets, etc. In the field of circuit boards, displays, and screens, silicone rubber is also used to make conductive adhesive strips to help connect two electronic components, such as: displays and circuit boards.

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Aerospace Industry

As for the sealing material of aircraft, silicone rubber with high temperature resistance is also used as the main material. Since the aircraft may travel through extreme climates, and at high altitudes, the temperature is often below 0°C. If you want to maintain the required elasticity of the parts at this temperature, silicone rubber is a very good choice.
 

Latex application range

Latex with a flexible texture is commonly used in the fields of bedding, household hygiene products, and medical treatment. Let's go check out more to understand how latex is applied in these industries!
 

Bedding

Latex is often used in bedding, such as pillows and mattresses, because of its flexibility and elasticity. Among them, it is recommended to purchase products with more natural latex ingredients. Why? Because bedding is furniture that needs to be used for a long time, and artificial latex may release toxic substances that are harmful to the human body, choosing natural latex can avoid health hazards.
 

Household Hygiene

The good skin affinity of latex is also very suitable for use as sanitary gloves. It can not only block the pollution of chemical agents, but also effectively prevent slipping and improve cleaning efficiency.
 

Medical Care

Since silicone rubber and latex can be used in medical products, what is the difference between them in medical applications? In fact, the disposable medical gloves that doctors wear when giving injections or surgery are products made of latex. They have good barrier properties and anti-slip effects, and their high elasticity can fit most people. The shape of the hand makes the gloves more comfortable and easy to use, and improves the efficiency of doctors' diagnosis. Silicone rubber is more widely used in the production of medical supplies than latex due to its high stability.
 

Conclusion

From the above content, we can know that the difference of silicone latex is not only in the composition and characteristics, but also in the scope of application.However, no matter it is made of silicone rubber or latex, as long as it is used in the medical and food fields, it needs to pass FDA certification, so that consumers can use it with more peace of mind! All of GSUN silicone rubber materials have passed FDA certification, helping our partners' products to gain more consumers' trust, and at the same time enhance their competitive advantages in the market! If you have any demand for raw materials, please contact us!