Silicone's coil-like structure has enabled the creation of a wide range of previously unimaginable products.
The second most common element on earth, silicon represents 28% of the earth’s crust and is found in sand, silicates, and many minerals such as quartz. Silicones are synthetically produced linking silicon and oxygen atoms into long polymeric chains, which form coil-like structures. These polymeric coils look and function like shock absorbers.1 The coils perform like no other molecule; they can coil and uncoil readily based on environmental conditions.2
The coils are found in physical forms that range from gases to brittle solids, and are manufactured in a wide range of viscosities, densities, structures, and functionalities. The coils’ unique combination of properties fueled the creation of an industry, which created a wide range of previously unimaginable products.