Silicone Central

I live in an old apartment in Croatian village Borovo (which suffered war), so you can imagine my need in silicone for daily reconstructions of my apartment. One day I was gluing windows with silicone and figure out I should made silicone web site. And few months later here it is.

Discovery of silicone

Silicon is a substance which seems ubiquitous in modern society. It can be found in everything from computers to cosmetic implants as the polymer silicone, but this substance has not always been known to mankind. In fact, silicon was only discovered in 1824. A Swedish scientist, J.J.Berzelius, is credited with the discovery of the element silicon. This naturally occurring substance is second only to oxygen in abundance in the composition of the Earth. From this element, a rubber like compound, known as silicone can be made. Silicone has been surrounded by controversy for some of its uses, it has still proven safe in its other uses.

Silicone was created by a chemist Fredrick Kipping. He is the one who also coined the term silicone for any organic compound made with silicon. Usually, these polymers include silicon, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, and possibly along with other elements. Silicone's uses are wide and varied. As a non-stick, heat resistant compound, silicone can be applied as a sealant or insulation. The latest wave in cooking is silicone bake ware. These are cake and muffin pans, spatulas, and potholders which have been made entirely of silicone rubber. The silicone provides heat resistance and more even heating in pans. It is also non-stick allowing bakers to avoid cakes stuck in the pan.

Silicone's most controversial use has been in breast implants. While these were more lifelike than others problems occurred when they leaked. Leeched silicone would enter the woman's blood stream and cause a variety of ailments. Newer breast implants have better outer coatings to prevent silicone leakage and the initial problems with these cosmetic pieces.

Silicone's use has been around for a long time, and as more applications for it are found, it will continue to be a major part of innovation in the future.

Silicone Fashion - Silicone wristbands, silicone shirts...

Silicone and fashion have, in the past few years, become synonymous with one another. The popular silicone wristbands are the most prevalent and fashionable pieces worn today. These rubber bracelets can be adorned with band names, friends names and favorite movies. Many new services are popping up that will personalize your silicone wristbands, proof of the staying power of these perfect accessories. The silicone wristbands are often used for awareness of diseases, with a portion of the revenues going to charitable foundations...

Silicon Casino

Silicon Casino was a one-player gambling game published in 1994 for Apple's entry into the PDA field, the less than successful Newton MessagePad. The game turned the Newton's screen into a casino room where the player could use the Newton's stylus to drag coins and cards around the screen and gamble virtual money on baccarat, blackjack, craps, poker, or slot machines. If the player ran out of money, he or she could "borrow" more to continue playing, so it was impossible to go broke.

Silicon Casino included extensive sound files and explanations of each game's rules, which unfortunately made the file so big that it could not fit in the Newton's memory without the addition of extra RAM. The graphics, however, were plain and monochrome, due to the limitations of the Newton's display. Reviewing Silicon Casino in the online Macintosh newsletter TidBITS in 1994, Mark H. Anbinder noted "For users in search of a quick diversion, though, the fancy graphics won't be missed."

The game was programmed by John Calhoun (then a shareware developer, now a member of the Macintosh programming team), published by Casady & Greene, and sold for $59.95. It is now considered abandonware, and cracked versions can be found on the Web.

Uses for Silicone Compounds in Space

Silicon-based polymers are ideal for use in a range of space and low-earth-orbit (LEO) applications. They are flexible through a wide range of temperatures, resistant to vibration and cracking, and unaffected by high vacuum. However, silicone compounds are negatively affected by radiation, subject to oxidative damage, and prone to outgassing...

Recorded: November 20, 2008