Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Slipcoat for silicone rubber?

hello, this is really a shot in the dark, just hoping maybe someone with any knowledge will stumble across this and make a suggestion. though not really a metal finishing question it is somewhat related, at least for me. my company has produced a silicone rubber glove of sorts (think halloween or movie special f/x) and we sent it to china to have a slipcoat put on the inside, making it easier to put on and take off. it works great but they will not tell us what the coating is. and we would love to be able to do it in house. so if anyone knows of any product that can be sprayed onto silicone rubber and be used as a dry film slip coat I'd love some suggestions.
Even just a nudge in the right direction would be a help.
thank you.
love the site.
-John Keen

John Keen
plating shop employee - Chester, New York, USA
June 11, 2009

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Try talc powder. It costs very little and works.

Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
June 15, 2009

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June 18, 2009

Thank you for the response. We have actually tried talc initially, it does not work for our process as we have a device that goes inside (a mechanical hand) and the powder gums up gear mechanisms so we are looking for a spray of sorts that will bond to the silicone. that seems to be the crux of the problem. there are commercial teflon based dryfilm sprays which we are currently testing. but getting one to bond nicely with the silicone is a challenge.
well, I'll keep looking.
thanks again and to anyone else that may have an idea.

John Keen
- Chester, NY, USA

Have you looked at mold release agents. They are commonly used to apply to molds in processes such as injection or blow molding or in fabrication of composite parts on tools. They are applied in various manners but dry to leave a film which is almost invisible but is very effective at preventing parts sticking to one another.

Ciaron Murphy
Aerospace - South Wales, UK
June 25, 2009