Fascinating Silicone™ Chemistry – Silicone Building Blocks & Nomenclature

Fascinating Silicone™ Chemistry Corner Building Blocks & Nomenclature

Silicone building blocks and nomenclature

From these basic building blocks, thousands of useful silicone products are created.

Silicone molecular model

Chlorosilane Precursor	Product of Hydrolysis	Silicone "Shorthand"	Forms, Functions
Trimethylchlorosilane			End-blockers
Dimethyldichlorosilane The primary building block used in the polymerization of polydimethylsiloxanes (classic linear silicones)			Linear (straight chain) Silicone fluids, elastomers, and gels
Methyltrichlorosilane			Branched (crosslinkers) Learn about crosslinking reactions.
Tetrachlorosilane			Three-dimensional resinous networks Silicone resins

Explore the silicone manufacturing process.

Silicone nomenclature shorthand

The silicon-based materials industry uses a shorthand (abbreviated) nomenclature - "M," "D," "T," and "Q" - to describe complicated siloxane building blocks. The subscript numbers = DP (degree of polymerization).

Examples:

Me₃SiOSiMe₃	hexamethyldisiloxane	MM
Me₃SiO(SiMe₂O)_nSiMe₃	trimethylsiloxy terminated polydimethylsiloxane	MD_nM
(Me₃SiO)₄Si	tetrakis(trimethylsilyloxy)silane	M₄Q
(SiMe₂O)₄	octamethyltetracyclosiloxane	D₄

Did you know ... the name "silicone" was an accident! Scientists originally believed the material had a structure of >Si=O, which is similar to the structure of ketone (>C=O); hence, the name “silicone.” By the time they realized their mistake, the name had stuck. Learn more about the differences between silicone and organic chemistry.

Expand your understanding

Learn more about:
The silicone molecule
Other members of the silicon materials family

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Open the silicone toolbox for more information.
Learn about silicone materials from Dow Corning.

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