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High Consistency Rubber (HCR) and Flurosilicone Rubber (FSR) Silicone
Dow offers HCR and FSR silicone compounds and bases that help solve your sealing, insulation, temperature, and fluid-resistance challenges.
Is HCR or FSR silicone right for me?
Use HCR silicone when the application needs a durable, heat-cured silicone elastomer with strong general-purpose performance, flexibility, electrical insulation, and resistance to heat, cold, UV, ozone, and weathering, but does not require prolonged exposure to fuels or hydrocarbon oils.
Use FSR fluorosilicone when the application requires silicone-like temperature flexibility plus improved resistance to fuels, oils, solvents, and aggressive fluids. FSR is the better fit for fuel-system, aerospace, powertrain, and harsh-fluid sealing applications where conventional silicone HCR may swell, soften, or lose performance.
Engineered Silicone HCR Compounds Built for Performance
High Consistency Rubber (HCR) compounds are ready-to-process silicone elastomers formulated with reinforcing fillers, additives, pigments, and cure systems. They are supplied as finished compounds designed for molding, extrusion, or calendaring applications.
Choose the Right HCR Compound for Your Application
General Purpose
Versatile HCR silicone compounds for molded and extruded applications, offering balanced mechanical properties, flexibility, durability, and processability.
Wire & Cable
HCR silicone compounds for wire and cable applications, providing reliable electrical insulation and thermal stability for demanding operating environments.
Flame Retardance
Designed to support flame-performance requirements, helping address the needs of applications where fire resistance is an important consideration.
Oil Resistance
Maintains material properties when exposed to oils and lubricants, helping minimize swelling in demanding operating environments.
Oil Bleed
Provides lubricity, surface slip, and improved release characteristics for applications where controlled oil migration can support performance.
Low Compression Set
Retains sealing force over time while minimizing permanent deformation, supporting reliable performance in demanding sealing applications.
Heat Resistance
Maintains physical properties at elevated temperatures, helping support durable performance and long-term reliability in heat-intensive environments.
Vibration Control
Helps dampen vibration and absorb shock, supporting durability, comfort, and performance in applications exposed to mechanical movement.
High Voltage Insulation
Provides dielectric performance for high-voltage electrical applications where dependable insulation and electrical protection are required.
HCR Compound technical resources
Explore Dow technical guides for material selection, fluid resistance, and silicone elastomer applications in vehicle systems.
Explore fluid resistance considerations when selecting silicone elastomers for demanding applications.
Review engineered elastomer options for vehicle systems and material selection requirements.
Explore silicone material options for vehicle powertrain applications and demanding operating conditions.
Silicone HCR Base Technology Designed for Formulation Freedom
HCR bases are uncatalyzed silicone rubber platforms consisting primarily of silicone gum and reinforcing silica. They provide the foundation for custom compound development and allow formulators to tailor performance through additives, pigments, and cure packages.
Choose the Right HCR Base for Your Application
General Purpose
A versatile staring point for custom HCR compound development, offering balanced performance and formulation flexibility across a range of applications.
High Strength
High green strength enables excellent shape retention before curing, supporting efficient processing and consistent results in demanding applications.
Tear resistant
Enhanced tear resistance supports durability and flex life, helping maintain performance in applications exposed to repeated movement or mechanical stress.
Low Temperature Flexibility
Maintains flexibility in cold environments, helping reduce cracking and supports reliable performance across a wide operating temperature range.
Wire & Cable
Excellent dielectric properties and thermal stability support reliable electrical insulation in demanding wire and cable applications.
Heat Resistance
Retains key physical properties during prolonged heat exposure, supporting durable performance in applications subject to elevated temperatures.
No Post Cure
Supports efficient processing by providing good compression set performance without requiring a separate post-cure step for selected applications.
Low Compression Set
Helps retain sealing force over time while minimizing permanent deformation, supporting reliable performance in demanding sealing applications.
HCR Base technical resources
Explore Dow technical resources to support HCR base selection, formulation, fluid resistance, and silicone material selection for demanding applications.
Explore HCR base options to support silicone rubber formulation and material selection.
Explore silicone material options for vehicle powertrain systems and demanding operating conditions.
Review fluid resistance considerations when selecting silicone materials for demanding applications.
Fluorosilicone Compounds for Harsh Fluid Environments
Fluorosilicone Rubber (FSR) compounds combine the temperature performance of silicone with enhanced resistance to fuels, oils, solvents, and aggressive automotive fluids. Finished compounds are supplied ready for processing into demanding sealing applications.
Choose the Right FSR Compound for Your Application
General Purpose
Balanced physical properties and silicone-like temperature flexibility make these fluorosilicone rubber compounds suitable for a broad range of demanding applications.
High Strength
High tensile and tear strength contribute to durability and flex life, supporting FSR applications that experience repeated movement or mechanical stress.
Low Compression Set
Excellent compression set and recovery characteristics help maintain sealing force over time, supporting reliable performance in demanding sealing applications.
Heat Resistance
Retains key physical properties at elevated temperatures, supporting durable performance when FSR compounds are exposed to prolonged heat and thermal stress.
FSR Compound technical resources
Explore Dow technical resources on fluorosilicone rubber, fluid resistance, material selection, and demanding automotive and powertrain applications.
Explore flurosilicone rubber products.
Learn about FSR performance in demanding applications exposed to fuels, oils, and other fluids.
Explore silicone material options for vehicle powertrain systems and demanding conditions.
Review engineered elastomer options for vehicle systems and material selection requirements.
Explore fluid resistance considerations when selecting silicone materials for demanding applications.
Fluorosilicone Bases for Custom Fluid-Resistant Formulations
FSR bases are uncatalyzed fluorosilicone elastomer platforms designed for custom compounding. The fluorinated polymer structure provides excellent resistance to fuels, oils, hydrocarbons, and solvents while maintaining elastomer performance over a wide temperature range.
Choose the right FSR Base for your application
General Purpose
Balanced mechanical performance and fluid resistance for a versatile foundation for custom fluorosilicone formulations.
High Strength / Tear Resistant
High tensile and tear strength enhance durability and flex life, helping fluorosilicone formulation withstand repeated movement and mechanical stress.
Low Compression Set
Maintains sealing force over time while minimizing permanent deformation, supporting reliable performance in demanding sealing applications.
Heat Resistance
Withstands elevated temperatures while retaining key physical properties, making these bases suitable for demanding thermal and fluid environments.
FSR Base technical resources
Explore Dow resources covering fluid resistance, silicone rubber base selection, and fluorosilicone rubber performance in demanding applications.
Explore fluid resistance considerations when selecting fluorosilicone rubber materials.
Explore flurosilicone rubber products.
Learn how fluorosilicone performs in demanding fluid and temperature environments.
Frequently Asked Questions: Dow HCR and FSR Silicone Compounds
This FAQ provides a practical reference for customers, fabricators, and technical teams evaluating Dow HCR and FSR compounds. It covers common questions about material properties, processing, and applications, including molded, extruded, calendared, coated, and specialty silicone elastomer applications.
An HCR base is typically not ready to cure as supplied and normally requires addition of catalyst and other ingredients. An HCR compound is generally formulated closer to customer use requirements and may be ready to process, depending on whether it is supplied as catalyzed stock or uncatalyzed U-stock.
HCR silicone is often selected for broad temperature capability, weatherability, UV resistance, electrical insulation, retention of flexibility at low temperature, heat aging performance, and long-term durability in demanding environments.
Yes. Dow can support custom HCR compound development for specific processing and performance targets.
Useful inputs include application, fabrication method, target hardness, tensile strength, elongation, tear resistance, compression set, temperature exposure, chemical or fluid exposure, electrical requirements, regulatory needs, color, annual volume, and qualification specifications.
Typical HCR applications include gaskets, seals, O-rings, tubing, high-voltage insulators, wire and cable insulation, connector seals, aerospace window seals, hot-air ducting, setting blocks, spacers, exhaust hangers, vibration dampers, thermal barriers, and EV battery protection components. Typical FSR applications include fuel system seals, oil system seals, transmission seals, fuel quick-connect seals, diaphragms, O-rings, gaskets, turbocharger hose liners, and aerospace or automotive components exposed to hydrocarbon fluids.
HCR silicone typically refers to VMQ or PVMQ high consistency silicone rubber, while FSR refers to fluorosilicone rubber based on FVMQ polymer. FSR is generally chosen when fuel, oil, and solvent resistance are more critical than the broader cost and property balance of standard HCR silicone.
FSR should be considered when the part will contact gasoline, diesel, aviation fuels, engine oils, synthetic oils, transmission fluids, hydrocarbon solvents, or aggressive automotive and aerospace fluids where standard silicone may swell excessively or lose properties.
Lets discuss custom-compounding, a product that matches your exact application and manufacturing requirements.
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