What is silicone?
- Silicone is a non-metallic element which occurs as silicon in practically all rocks, sand, clay and even in water
- Today silicone is processed into a wide palette of products which cannot be manufactured from mineral oil. This opens up completely new applications
Did you know that...
- silicone is not a plastic or rubber?
- silicone was first isolated in 1824 by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius?
- after oxygen, silicon is the most frequently occurring raw material on earth, and comprises about 27.7% of the earth's crust?
Which silicones are found in the household use?
- Silicone has a very wide range of household uses. Basically, silicones resistant to contact with food (e.g. baby comforters, FLEXI®) are differentiated from those which do not come into contact with food (e.g. seals for joints).
Which silicones are suitable for baking moulds?
- Because of the demanding conditions under which baking moulds are used, they should be made from an extremely pure silicone
- High purity silicones are an expensive raw material
- The high purity silicone used for FLEXI® is called methyl vinyl polysiloxane, and it receives its particular properties from being crosslinked by platinum.
- Cheaper catalysers such as peroxide and filling agents such as kaolin or chalk are often used for low-value imports in order to keep the price down.
Did you know that...
- LURCH FLEXI® silicones are manufactured exclusively in Germany?
Attributes of all LURCH FLEXI®products
- Maximum non-stick performance
- Temperature resistant between-60°C and 260°C.
- Microwave safe
- Dishwasher safe
- Food safe
- Suitable for persons suffering from allergies
- Fruit acid proof
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How are silicone baking moulds manufactured?
- Silicone baking moulds can be pressed or manufactured by injection moulding.
- The most important factor is clean and careful handling of the raw material.
- The guidelines require that when making silicone baking moulds, the products should be tempered (heat treated) at 200°C for four hours after forming. Only through this treatment do the moulds achieve their suitability for use.
- This is particularly important for products crosslinked by peroxide, in order to drive off excess additives and to prevent these from migrating into food products
Note:
- For cost reasons, some manufacturers reduce the duration of the essential tempering process, or even dispense with it altogether. Poorly tempered moulds can be distinguished by their excessive inherent odour
What decides the price?
An increasing number of suppliers are offering silicone moulds in different price categories. So what decides the price and the quality of a mould?
- The use of different crosslinking agents (e.g. peroxide instead of platinum) is an important cost factor. Peroxide is a cheaper catalyser, and in the case of faulty production techniques (e.g. incorrect tempering, as above) it can create risks. Further, the moulds cannot be heated up to 260°C.
- The second signifi cant price factor is the amount of raw material used. Moulds with less material have thinner walls and are therefore less stable
Did you know that...
Since 1999 LURCH has used only 100% platinum-crosslinked silicone for all its FLEXI® products? LURCH has achieved different pricing levels by adjusting the construction and in the amounts of raw material used and by different levels of guarantee rather than by compromising on silicone quality |
