SILICONES — BASS 233 



may be used in formulating a more practical enamel for sheet steel 

 used in domestic stoves. Another example is the saving of materials 

 and the reduction of repair time in electric equipment which result 

 from the use of silicone electrical insulating materials. 



It is probable that the price history of most important new engineer- 

 ing materials will be repeated in the silicones. As volume increases, 

 production costs should decrease, opening new fields of usefulness and 

 larger volume markets. 



FUTURE OF SILICONES 



In this age of extremely high and low temperature operation, the 

 unusual properties of silicone materials probably will become increas- 

 ingly important. The last 21^ years already have demonstrated this 

 with respect to the use of silicone insulation for electric apparatus. 

 Actual tests of silicone-insulated electric equipment under severe and 

 accelerated conditions of heat and moisture have shown that such 

 equipment is capable of operating hundreds of times longer than con- 

 ventional insulating materials. Manufacturers of motors, transform- 

 ers, contactor coils, and olher electric equipment are beginning already 

 to standarize on silicone insulation in their lines. Maintenance and 

 repair shops are rewinding an increasing number of motors with sili- 

 cone insulation. 



The silicone continent, nevertheless, is just beginning to be explored, 

 and many years will be required to disclose the full extent of it. 



REFERENCES 



Baker, E. B., Barbt, A. J., and Hunteb, M. J. 



1946. Dielectric constants of dimethyl siloxane polymers. Ind. and Eng. 

 Chem., vol. .38, p. 1117, November. 

 Bass, S. L., Hyde, J. F., Brixton, E. C, and McGregor, R. R. 



1944. Silicones, high polymeric substances. Modern Plastics, vol. 21, p. 124. 



November. 



COLLINGS, W. R. 



1946. Silicones as new engineering materials. Trans. Amer. Inst. Chem. 



Eng., vol. 42, No. 3, p. 455, June. 

 DeKiep, J., Hn-L, L. R., and Moses, G. L. 



1945. The application of silicone resins to insulation for electric machinery. 



Amer. Inst. Electr. Eng., Trans., vol. 64. pp. 94-98, March. 

 Grant. George, III, Kauppi, T. A., and Mosks, G. L. 



1947. Investigation of silicone insulation on high-temperature railway 



motor. Amer. Inst. Electr. Eng., Trans., vol. 66, August. 

 Johannson, O. K., and Toeok, JuLnjs J. 



1946. The use of liquid dimefhylsilicones to produce water-repellent surfaces 



on glass insulator bodies. Proc. Inst. Radio Eng., vol. 34, No. 5, p. 296, 

 May. 



