The new elastomers, whose precursors are based on plant-based raw materials, include one liquid silicone rubber and six solid silicone rubbers, as well as selected compounds.For the premiere at the K trade fair, injection molding processing will be demonstrated live.At the K 2022, Wacker, Munich, is presenting silicone rubbers for industrial applications that are based on vegetable-derived methanol for the first time.Several biomethanol-based product lines are being launched under the Elastosil eco name, including one liquid silicone rubber and six solid silicone rubbers, as well as selected silicone compounds from the Silmix brand.According to Wacker, the use of biomethanol in silicone production helps to conserve fossil resources.The chemical industry strives to continuously reduce the use of fossil raw materials.One approach is to replace them with identical raw materials from renewable sources.The best way to do this is with the mass balance.The process offers the possibility of processing raw materials from fossil and renewable sources at the same time and later assigning them to specific products in the ratio in which they were used.The mass balance thus ensures that only those products that are verifiably based on renewable raw materials are labeled "biobased".The most important raw materials for silicone production are silicon and methanol.Methanol is first converted into methyl chloride, then in the Müller-Rochow process with elementary silicon into a mixture of different methylchlorosilanes, which play a key role in the subsequent production process.Wacker has been using both petrochemically produced and plant-based methanol, so-called biomethanol, in production since 2018.The amount of biomethanol used is always mass-balanced.The procedure that Wacker uses for these mass balances has been certified by TÜV Nord according to the REDcert² standard and is checked at regular intervals.This ensures that the amount of eco products sold always corresponds to the amount of biomethanol used.The mass balance can also be used for ready-to-use silicone compounds.In addition to the silicone rubber, these also contain pigments and other organic additives.Such additives can also be compensated for by appropriate amounts of biomethanol.Speaking of biomethanol: According to the REDcert² standard, the raw material must come from renewable sources.According to Wacker, it only uses biomethanol from plant residues that are neither suitable for the production of food nor may they be fed to animals.Wacker already offers a range of silicones as eco grades.These include silicone oils, defoamers, textile softeners, silicone release agents and silicone sealants.Now the Elastosil eco product family is getting new blood.Several biomethanol-based silicone rubbers will be available from autumn.In the field of liquid silicone rubber, Elastosil eco LR 5040 is the first to be launched.Six degrees of hardness of the temper-free and tear-resistant type can be ordered in the eco version.When it comes to solid silicone rubber, processors can choose between the peroxide-curing all-rounder Elastosil eco R 401 (hardness: 40 Shore A) and the addition-curing, tear propagation-resistant solid silicone Elastosil eco R plus 4020 (40 Shore A).This Lékué lemon squeezer made of biomethanol-based silicone rubber will be produced live at the Wacker booth at the K.(Photo: Wacker)Wacker also offers biomethanol-based solid silicone compounds on request.During the K 2022, the processing of the rubber compound Silmix eco R plus TS 40002 will be demonstrated on an Engel injection molding machine."With this offer, our customers have two versatile solid silicone rubbers and a temper-free liquid silicone rubber for particularly sensitive applications as an eco product at their disposal," emphasizes Dr.Martin Bortenschlager, head of the Engineering Silicones business team.The manager responsible for the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America region has been registering increasing interest in resource-saving products for some time.The silicone expert can definitely imagine expanding the current eco portfolio.“In the first step, we wanted to show that we are able to offer resource-saving products for both rubber and customized silicone compounds.But that's just the beginning.Upon request, other products can be converted to biomethanol at any time.”Incidentally, switching to the new eco line is easy.“Anyone who wants to switch to Elastosil eco can do so at any time without having to run lengthy and expensive test series.Our biomethanol-based silicones have the same properties as fossil-based products and can therefore also be processed in the same way,” emphasizes Bortenschlager.