In many applications where the need is to improve a product’s water repellency, waterproof silicone is an essential part of a good waterproofing process. It can help improve a product’s ability to handle water, and it is especially useful when used in semi-submerged aquatic settings or for protecting outdoor structures from rain.

The silicone chemistry offers three key characteristics that are ideal for creating effective water repellents: stability, wetting and gas permeability. These properties enable silicones to deliver their hydrophobic functional groups deeply in or through a material, which in turn allows for a durable and breathable end product.

Silicone is resistant to a broad range of environmental influences such as UV radiation, heat, sodium and corrosive airborne particles. This enables silicone rubber to create a robust waterproof seal while still maintaining its flexibility, elasticity and longevity.

Silane based water repellents are suitable for application on a variety of substrates, including smooth concrete and dense masonry. These materials are applied at a low dilution to the substrate and then react with an alkaline substance to form a resin that narrows porous channels and makes them too small for water molecules to breach.

Silane-based solutions offer a technical solution for the protection of different materials because they do not alter the intrinsic functional or aesthetic features of the substrate. They are also extremely durable due to stable covalent bonds between the silicon and the silicate matrix of the pores and capillaries in masonry.