What Is Silicone Oil?

Silicone oils are used as insulators for high-temperature environments such as transformers.

Silicone oil has a similar molecular structure to conventional hydrocarbon-based oils, but with a chain of siloxane units instead of carbon atoms. It is regularly used as a lubricant or hydraulic fluid.

Molecular Structure

Common hydrocarbon oils are generally comprised of a chain of carbon atoms, which leaves each carbon atom with two "spare" bonds to bond with other atoms, usually hydrogen. Silicone oil is comprised of siloxane units (a silicon atom and an oxygen atom) in a chain, so the chain comprises Si-O-Si-O-Si-O and so on. The silicon atoms, like the carbon atoms, thus have two spare bonds to link with other atoms.

Properties

Because of their similarities with hydrocarbon oils, silicone oils share some of the same characteristics, including both thermal and electrical insulation. Unlike hydrocarbons, however, silicone oils are not flammable, rendering them much safer.

Uses

Silicone oil can be used as an insulator in high-temperature applications such as transformers. In medical fields, it is used as a lubricant or coating for syringes and other devices, and is even injected into the eye during some eye surgery procedures.

References

• Shen Zhen Hong Ye Jie Technology Co., Ltd: What Is Silicone Oil
• Eye Info: Silicone Oil
• NCBI National Center for Biotechnology Information: Silicone Oil- and Agitation-Induced Aggregation
• University of Southampton: Silicone Oil Degradation Analysis (SODA)