Does silicone rubber conduct electricity?
Does silicone rubber conduct electricity?
Does not conduct
silicone rubber
An insulator, and it retains that property at temperatures where most polymers have failed.
How it compares
| Material | Conducts? | % of copper |
|---|---|---|
| silver | Conducts electricity | 105% |
| copper | Conducts electricity | 100% |
| gold | Conducts electricity | 70% |
| aluminum | Conducts electricity | 61% |
| aluminum 6061 | Conducts electricity | 43% |
| magnesium | Conducts electricity | 39% |
| aluminum 7075 | Conducts electricity | 33% |
| tungsten | Conducts electricity | 31% |
| brass | Conducts electricity | 28% |
| zinc | Conducts electricity | 27% |
| nickel | Conducts electricity | 24% |
| iron | Conducts electricity | 17% |
| platinum | Conducts electricity | 16% |
| tin | Conducts electricity | 15% |
| bronze | Conducts electricity | 15% |
| chromium | Conducts electricity | 13% |
| wrought iron | Conducts electricity | 12% |
| tin-lead solder (60/40) | Conducts electricity | 12% |
| lead-free solder (SAC305) | Conducts electricity | 11% |
| mild steel | Conducts electricity | 10% |
| pewter | Conducts electricity | 10% |
| high-carbon steel | Conducts electricity | 9% |
| lead | Conducts electricity | 8% |
| tool steel | Conducts electricity | 7% |
| tungsten carbide | Conducts electricity | 5% |
| gray cast iron | Conducts electricity | 4% |
| ductile iron | Conducts electricity | 4% |
| Monel 400 | Conducts electricity | 3.5% |
| titanium | Conducts electricity | 3% |
| stainless steel 304 | Conducts electricity | 2.5% |
| stainless steel 316 | Conducts electricity | 2.3% |
| mercury | Conducts electricity | 2% |
| Inconel 718 | Conducts electricity | 1.4% |
| Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy | Conducts electricity | 1% |
| unidirectional carbon fibre composite | Conducts electricity | 1% |
| graphite | Conducts electricity | 0.1% |
The ones that surprise people
- Diamond is an electrical insulator and simultaneously the best thermal conductor known — about five times better than copper at moving heat. Structure decides both, not composition.
- Graphite is the same element as diamond and conducts electricity well, because its layered structure leaves one electron per atom free to move.
- Carbon fibre conducts. People treat composites as plastic, and lightning strike protection on composite aircraft is a serious design problem because of it.
- Pure water is an insulator. Tap water conducts because of dissolved ions — the hazard is what is in the water, not the water.
- Air is an excellent insulator until roughly 3 kV per millimetre, at which point it ionises and conducts. That is what a spark is.
Common questions
- Does silicone rubber conduct electricity?
- Does not conduct. An insulator, and it retains that property at temperatures where most polymers have failed.
Related pages
- silicone rubber Density, melting point, strength
- Is silicone rubber magnetic? A magnet does not stick to it
- Does silicone rubber rust? Neither rusts nor meaningfully corrodes
- Does water conduct? Does not conduct
- Does concrete conduct? Does not conduct
- Does air conduct? Does not conduct
- Does ice conduct? Does not conduct
- Does pine conduct? Does not conduct
- Does diamond conduct? Does not conduct
- Does granite conduct? Does not conduct
- Does soda-lime glass conduct? Does not conduct
Sources
- Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SP 811) — NIST (Public domain (US Government))