Cure Chemistries

Unleashing your cure potential

Two thermal cure chemistries for silicone release coating products, to meet all your application needs.

Addition Cure

Catalyzed by platinum or rhodium, addition cure chemistry has been successfully applied to solventless, solvent-based, and emulsion coatings.

Platinum Catalyst

Two glass laboratory flasks filled with colored liquids, with various-colored bands of light in background

Offering fast cure at low to moderate temperatures, platinum catalysts have the added ability to maximize bath life within defined temperature ranges.

Advantages

Yields faster
More complete cure at low temperatures
Less prone to silicon migration
Non-reversible, non-blocking
Does not require post cure, making two-sided differential release and in-line applications possible
More durable coating with more stable and predictable release
More avenues for controlling performance

Disadvantages

Susceptibility to catalyst poisoning by:
- Amines
- Sulphides
- Phosphides
- Organotin salts
Potential for interaction with acrylics

Rhodium Catalyst

How is a rhodium-catalyzed addition cure coating unique to Dow?

Advantages

Does not interact with most adhesives.
Excellent acrylic stability
Relatively difficult to poison

Disadvantages

Less sensitive to substrate inhibition in comparison to platinum-catalyzed coatings
Cures more slowly and requires a higher
temperature
Unsuitable for temperature sensitive substrates
Unsuitable for food contact applications

Condensation Cure

Tin Catalyst

Catalyzed by tin, condensation cure chemistry is a cost-effective solution that maintains versatility and stability.

Advantages

Coating is robust and resistant to substrate inhibition and catalyst poisoning
Minimal adhesive interaction

Disadvantages

Necessity for post-cure often rules out two-sided and in-line applications
Blocking may occur
Greater potential for silicone migration
Tin and rubber are mildly interactive - tin catalyzed coatings are less desirable with SBR adhesives