Comparison and Analysis of Tensan Silicone Potting and Other Silicone Potting

I. Comparison of Basic Properties

(A) Viscosity

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has a moderate viscosity, which ensures good fluidity for convenient potting operations while not being overly thin to avoid phenomena like glue leakage and overflow during the potting process. Its unique formula makes the viscosity change relatively small under different temperature environments, enabling it to adapt to a relatively wide range of processing conditions.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some ordinary silicone potting may have a relatively high viscosity, which makes it difficult to fill all the gaps and corners when potting some fine-structured or complex-shaped components, easily resulting in bubbles and voids and affecting the potting effect. On the other hand, some low-viscosity silicone potting, although having good fluidity, may experience glue migration and uneven distribution during the curing process.

(B) Curing Time

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has a relatively fast curing speed and can usually reach surface dryness in a short time. Under the specified curing conditions, it can be completely cured within a relatively reasonable time, greatly improving production efficiency. For example, under standard room temperature conditions, Tensan silicone potting may achieve initial curing within a few hours, meeting some basic handling and subsequent processing requirements, and complete curing may occur in about 24 hours, with the specific time varying slightly depending on factors such as the thickness of the glue layer.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some traditional silicone potting has a long curing time and may require several days to be completely cured, which will prolong the production cycle of the product and increase production costs. Especially in large-scale production lines, a longer curing time may slow down the production line‘s tempo and reduce production capacity. While some fast-curing silicone potting has a fast curing speed, it may generate large internal stresses due to the overly intense curing reaction, resulting in cracking of the potted product. Tensan silicone potting has a better balance in this regard.

II. Comparison of Environmental Resistance Properties

(A) Heat Resistance

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has excellent heat resistance and can work stably at relatively high temperatures. For example, it can withstand temperatures as high as 200°C. In cases where electronic devices generate significant heat, such as power modules and automotive engine control units, Tensan silicone potting can maintain its physical and chemical properties stable, without phenomena like softening, flowing, or decomposition, thereby continuously and effectively protecting the internal components.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some silicone potting may experience performance degradation in high-temperature environments. Some organic silicone potting will gradually lose its adhesiveness and the colloidal structure will be damaged after exceeding its tolerance temperature, leading to potting failure. While some inorganic silicone potting has good heat resistance, it may have other performance deficiencies, such as poor flexibility and poor adhesion to the potted material.

(B) Cold Resistance

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It performs exceptionally well in low-temperature environments and can adapt to severe cold conditions. Even at a temperature as low as -45°C, it still maintains good elasticity and sealing properties, without becoming brittle or cracking due to low temperatures, ensuring the normal operation of electronic products in cold regions or low-temperature working environments. For example, in applications such as outdoor communication base station equipment and polar scientific research equipment, Tensan silicone potting can effectively resist the impact of low temperatures on electronic components.
• Other Silicone Potting: Many silicone potting become hard and brittle in low temperatures. When subjected to external impacts or vibrations, cracks are prone to occur, allowing moisture, dust, and other impurities to penetrate into the potting interior and damage the electronic components. The reliability of some ordinary silicone potting in low-temperature environments is greatly reduced, limiting its application in low-temperature fields.

(C) Moisture Resistance

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has good moisture resistance and can effectively block the intrusion of moisture. Its dense colloidal structure forms a reliable moisture-proof barrier, preventing moisture from penetrating into the potted components and avoiding problems such as short circuits and corrosion caused by moisture. In high-humidity environments, such as electronic equipment in coastal areas and bathroom appliances, Tensan silicone potting can maintain its insulation properties and protective effect on components for a long time.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some silicone potting have poor moisture resistance. When exposed to a humid environment for a long time, moisture can easily penetrate through the colloid into the interior, causing the electronic components to be damaged by moisture. Especially for some silicone potting with a high porosity or a strong affinity for water, their performance will decline rapidly in a high-humidity environment, shortening the service life of the product.

(D) Chemical Corrosion Resistance

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has a strong tolerance to a variety of chemical substances, including common acids, alkalis, and organic solvents. In environments where electronic equipment may come into contact with chemical substances, such as automated control equipment in chemical production workshops and electronic components in the engine compartment of automobiles (which may come into contact with fuel, lubricating oil, and other chemical substances), Tensan silicone potting can resist the erosion of chemical substances, maintain its structural integrity and performance stability, and will not react with these chemical substances to cause the colloid to deteriorate or fail.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some silicone potting may experience swelling, decomposition, discoloration, and other phenomena when in contact with specific chemical substances, thereby losing their protective effect on electronic components. For example, some ordinary organic silicone potting may be rapidly corroded when encountering strong acids or alkalis, leading to the destruction of the potting layer and exposing the internal components to a harsh chemical environment, facing the risk of damage.

III. Comparison of Electrical Properties

(A) Insulation Properties

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has outstanding insulation properties with a high volume resistivity, which can effectively prevent current leakage. In high-voltage and high-frequency electrical environments, it provides reliable insulation protection for electronic components. For example, in the potting applications of power transformers and high-voltage switches, Tensan silicone potting can ensure the electrical safety of the equipment and prevent accidents such as electric shock and leakage caused by poor insulation.
• Other Silicone Potting: The insulation properties of some silicone potting may not be ideal. Under high-voltage or high-frequency conditions, partial discharge may occur, leading to a decline in insulation performance and increasing the risk of electrical equipment failure. Especially for some silicone potting with a high impurity content or an unreasonable formula, the stability of their insulation properties is poor, making it difficult to meet the application scenarios with high requirements for electrical insulation.

(B) Dielectric Constant

• Tensan Silicone Potting: The dielectric constant is relatively stable and within a relatively suitable range, which ensures that it will not cause obvious interference or distortion to signal transmission in electronic circuits. In high-frequency communication equipment, precision electronic instruments, and other products with high requirements for signal integrity, Tensan silicone potting can ensure the accurate transmission of electrical signals and maintain the normal working performance of the equipment.
• Other Silicone Potting: The dielectric constant of some silicone potting may be too high or unstable, which will cause signal delay, attenuation, and other problems in high-frequency circuits, affecting the communication quality and work efficiency of the equipment. For example, in some high-speed digital circuits, inappropriate silicone potting may slow down the rising and falling edges of signals, increase the bit error rate of signal transmission, and reduce the reliability of the entire circuit system.

IV. Comparison of Adhesion to Substrates

(A) Adhesion to Different Materials

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has good adhesion to a variety of common substrates, such as metals (aluminum, copper, iron, etc.), plastics (ABS, PC, PP, etc.), ceramics, etc. Its unique molecular structure can form strong chemical bonds or intermolecular forces with the surface of these substrates, ensuring that the silicone potting will not peel or fall off from the substrate surface during use. For example, in the packaging of electronic components, whether it is between metal pins and plastic housings or between ceramic substrates and metal heat sinks, Tensan silicone potting can provide reliable adhesion and ensure the integrity of the entire packaging structure.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some silicone potting have poor adhesion to specific materials. After being used for a period of time, due to factors such as thermal expansion and contraction and vibration, they may separate from the substrate surface, thereby destroying the sealing and protective effect of the potting. For example, some silicone potting have insufficient adhesion to polycarbonate (PC) plastics and are prone to delamination during long-term use, allowing moisture, dust, and other substances to enter the potting interior and damage the electronic components.

(B) Long-Term Stability

• Tensan Silicone Potting: During long-term use, the adhesion performance to the substrate can remain stable. Whether under harsh environmental conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, and thermal cycling or under the action of long-term mechanical stress, the adhesion interface between Tensan silicone potting and the substrate can remain intact, without the problem of potting failure due to a decrease in adhesion. This enables products potted with Tensan silicone potting to have a long service life and high reliability.
• Other Silicone Potting: The adhesion of some silicone potting to the substrate will gradually weaken after long-term use due to environmental factors or material aging. For example, some organic silicone potting undergo molecular structure changes under ultraviolet irradiation or oxidation, resulting in poor adhesion to the substrate, thereby affecting the long-term effect of the potting and increasing the cost of product maintenance and replacement.

V. Comparison of Environmental Protection and Safety

(A) Environmental Protection

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It emphasizes environmental protection performance and complies with relevant environmental protection standards and regulations during production and use. It does not contain harmful heavy metals (such as lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), reducing the potential harm to the environment and human health. After the product is discarded, Tensan silicone potting is also relatively easy to handle and will not cause long-term adverse effects on soil, water sources, etc., conforming to the concept of sustainable development.
• Other Silicone Potting: Some traditional silicone potting may contain more harmful substances. During production, use, and disposal, they will bring certain risks to the environment and human health. For example, some lead-containing silicone potting, if not properly disposed of after being discarded, may cause lead elements to seep into the soil and water sources, causing lasting damage to the ecological environment and potentially entering the human body through the food chain, endangering the nervous system, blood system, etc. of the human body.

(B) Safety

• Tensan Silicone Potting: It has a relatively high level of safety during use. Its volatile organic compound (VOC) content is low, reducing the irritation to the respiratory tract of operators and the pollution of the working environment air during the potting operation. At the same time, the curing process of Tensan silicone potting is relatively mild, without generating a large amount of heat or harmful gases, reducing the risk of safety accidents such as fire and explosion.
• Other Silicone Potting: The VOC content of some silicone potting is relatively high. When in use, they emit a pungent odor, causing adverse effects on the health of operators. In a poorly ventilated environment, flammable gases are prone to accumulate, increasing safety hazards. In addition, some silicone potting may release toxic gases, such as isocyanate substances, during the curing process, posing a threat to the life safety of operators.