ABSTRACT
Silicone (polysiloxane) hard coatings are finishes of superior abrasion resistance and inertness to hostile chemical and environmental conditions. They consist of several monomers and other ingredients, and the makeup of the formulations varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Among the highly varied components are monomeric silanes, dimerized silanes, silane hydrozylates, silaceous materials, leveling agents, flow control agents, cross-linking agents, and catalysts of various types. Silicone coatings are solvent-borne coatings. Some of the possible solvents are alcohols and glycol ethers. This includes such alcohols as isopropanol, propanol, ethanol,
n
-butanol, isobutanol, and methanol. Polysiloxane coatings are applicable to many substrates, but the majority of applications are on
nonmetallic surfaces, especially plastics. Silicone coatings can be dyed or pigmented, but for the most part these coatings are used as clear top coatings. They have excellent light transmission and actually improve the optical properties of the material that is coated.
