So is liquid silicone just liquid silicone rubber?
In addition to liquid silicone rubber, is there anything else called liquid silicone?

There is a product called silica sol, which is a dispersion of nano-sized silica particles in water or solvent. This product is a kind of inorganic silica gel, and it is in liquid state, so it is also called liquid silica gel by people in the industry.

Silica sol is a colloidal solution, odorless and non-toxic. Silica sol is a dispersion of nano-sized silica particles in water or solvent. Since the SiO2 in the silica sol contains a large amount of water and hydroxyl groups, the silica sol can also be expressed as SiO2.nH2O.

Silica sol has the following characteristics:
1. Because the colloidal particles are fine (10-20nm) and have a considerable specific surface area, the particles themselves are colorless and transparent, which does not affect the true color of the covered material.
2. The viscosity is low, and it can penetrate wherever water can penetrate, so the dispersibility and permeability are very good when mixed with other substances.
3. When the water of the silica sol evaporates, the colloidal particles are firmly attached to the surface of the object, and the silicon-oxygen bond is formed between the particles, which is a good adhesive.

Its uses are as follows:
1. It is used as a binder for various refractory materials, and has the characteristics of strong adhesion, high temperature resistance (1500-1600°C), etc.
2. Used in the coating industry, it can make the coating firm, and can resist pollution, dust, aging, fire and other functions.
3. It is used for thin shell precision casting, which can make the shell shape strong and the casting smooth. The quality of its modeling is better than that of water glass, and it can reduce costs and improve operating conditions instead of ethyl silicate modeling.
4. Silica sol has a high specific surface area and can be used for catalyst manufacture and catalyst carrier.
5. It can be used in the paper industry as a cellophane anti-sticking agent, a pretreatment agent for photographic paper, an anti-slip agent for cement bags, etc.
6. Used as a sizing agent in the textile industry, it can be used together with an oil to treat the spinnability of wool and rabbit hair, reduce end breakage, prevent flying flowers, improve the yield of finished products, and increase economic benefits.
7. Used as silicon steel sheet treatment agent, picture tube dispersant, floor wax anti-slip, etc.

Summary: The relationship between liquid silicone and liquid silicone rubber is: liquid silicone rubber belongs to liquid silicone, but liquid silicone not only contains liquid silicone rubber, because the liquid silicone sol of inorganic silicone is also called liquid silicone!