Course: Essentials of Silicone Rubber
June 17, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
CEUs: 0.4 (To receive the CEUs, attendees must attend the course live and promptly complete the survey evaluation after the course.)
Location: This course is available virtually only and can be taken from the comfort of your home or office – remotely from any tablet, laptop or computer.
Course Overview: Silicone rubber is comprised of inorganic-organic polymers. These materials consist of an inorganic backbone with organic side groups attached to silicon atoms. This family of polymers possesses unmatched versatility giving the formulator and user multiple forms and methods to cross link the polymers into rubber materials having the widest service temperature range of any rubber material. This course is designed to provide participants with a thorough understanding of silicone’s engineering characteristics. It will take you from creation of silicone from sand through formulating the compound and the various methods by which silicone can be fabricated into useful service articles. The subject matter will deal with the differences between high consistency rubber, caulks and the various liquid silicone rubbers. This course is suitable for those individuals having various degrees of knowledge in silicone materials and applications.
Learning Objectives:
– contrast the differences between silicone rubber and other rubber materials
– discuss the influences of specific silicone polymer architecture on engineering properties
– choose the corrective additives to influence specific performance attributes
– recognize the differences between the different types of silicone rubbers
– contrast the different silicone rubber curing and fabrication systems
– discuss the engineering characteristics the make silicone rubber unique
– recognize when to use silicone rubber in an application
– apply the principles presented in this course to improve the quality of silicone rubber articles
Topical Outline:
– what silicones are
– how are they made
– differences between silicone rubber and other rubber materials
– what makes silicone rubber unique and when to use it instead of other rubber materials
– influence of additives to during construction of the silicone rubber compound
– essential differences between high consistency and low viscosity and liquid molding
– types and influence of different cure systems
– manufacturing of silicone rubber compounds
– fabrication technologies
– troubleshooting
Price: $350 Members / $450 Non-members / Free for Undergraduate Student Members / $50 for Other Student Members
Instructor: F. Joseph Walker, Elastomer Technologies
Joseph Walker is owner and founder of Elastomer Technologies a firm dedicated to training in elastomer materials and process engineering, technical assessments, and fit-for-function design reviews. Over the last 45 years, Walker has conducted training for major organizations and universities. He has also consulted for various customers in the areas of composites, testing, materials, and shop-floor problem solving. His focus is a heightened awareness of the science behind rubber technology and improving the overall image of the rubber industry toward one of science-bases decision making through increased educational outreach. He is also active in driving awareness to supply chain risks and threats to the US rubber industry.
For 24 years he was held positions at Freudenberg-NOK and then Freudenberg Sealing Technologies where he retired as global technology director for materials and laboratories for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies and Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies (FNST). In this position, he was globally responsible for overseeing advanced materials technology and management of the FNST/FST laboratories. He was also the regional USMCA leader for Chemical Regulatory Compliance for FNST.
Prior to joining Freudenberg, Walker served as silicone rubber business team leader for Wacker Silicones Corp. There, he was responsible for research, development, and sales and marketing. He was an engineering fellow for Alliant Techsystems (formally Honeywell Defense and Marine Systems), where he focused on material design, processing, and application for various U.S. Department of Defense programs. Walker also held positions at Stauffer Chemical, Phillips Petroleum and Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. He continues to conduct numerous trainings at various industry workshops, universities, and events.
He was the 2012 chairman of the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division; a member of the Rubber Industry Advisory Board for Ferris State University; board member of the Association of Rubber Product Manufacturers and is past-chair and board member of the Detroit Rubber Group. Additionally, he is a member of Society of Automotive Engineers, Society of Plastics Engineers, Original Equipment Suppliers Association, Automotive Industry Action Group, and the Americas Tech Team of the American Chemistry Council. A graduate of Lawrence Institute of Technology, he holds more than 20 patents and has authored and edited various chapters in text and industry publications.