What silicone foam is
Silicone foam is a foamed silicone material. What sets it apart from the polyethylene and polypropylene foams is how little its flexibility changes with temperature: at the cold end it does not turn brittle, and at the hot end it does not sag or break down. Where a part has to keep sealing or cushioning through a heat cycle, that is usually why silicone is specified.
This page is the overview of the silicone family. Silicone foam is a supporting material in our range rather than a separate product line, so there is no dedicated product page — tell us what the part has to do and we will specify the grade and confirm its figures with you.
Silicone foam at a glance
| Property | Silicone foam |
|---|---|
| Service temperature | Confirmed per grade |
| Single-layer thickness | Confirmed per grade |
| Form supplied | Sheet; cut to size or die-cut to a drawing |
When silicone foam is the right choice
The deciding factor is almost always temperature, but the bar is higher than most people expect. Our polyethylene and polypropylene foams already go a long way: a heat-resistant polyethylene grade holds a 110 °C working environment with shrinkage of 8% or less, and IXPP reaches 140 °C.
| Material | Service temperature | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard PE foam | Grade-dependent | Softens when hot and stiffens when cold, which is fine for cabin, indoor and packaging service. |
| Heat-resistant PE grade | 110 °C, shrinkage ≤8% | The hottest polyethylene grade we supply. |
| IXPP foam | 140 °C | Stiffer than polyethylene, and it resists boiling water. |
| Silicone foam | Confirmed per grade | The material to ask about when the temperature sits outside what a polyethylene or polypropylene grade can hold. |
Typical uses follow from that:
- High-temperature sealing and gaskets. Where the joint sees heat and has to keep sealing through it.
- Thermal barriers and heat shielding. A flexible layer that does not conduct the way a solid gasket would.
- Medical and healthcare products. Where the grade is confirmed for the application.
- Cushioning in equipment exposed to heat or weathering. Outdoors, near engines, or anywhere a PE foam would age.
How we supply silicone foam
- Sheets cut to size, or die-cut to a drawing
- Grade and thickness confirmed against the part you are designing, not picked from a list
Contact us with the temperature the part sees and the thickness you need. If the temperature is not extreme, a polyethylene foam will usually cost less — see XPE, IXPE and PE foam.