What is the difference between silicone molds and plastic molds?
The difference in material
Silicone molds are a tool to form silicone gel into a target product with a curing agent under room temperature or heated conditions. Silicone has high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, mold making price is lower than plastic molds.
Plastic molds generally refer to injection molds, blow molds, and foam molds. Plastic molds can be used to process complicated plastic parts, which are widely used in many modern industries.
The difference in structure
The general structure of silicone molds consists of five parts: basic polymers, crosslinking agents, catalysts, filler, and additives. The basic polymer, crosslinking agent, and filler are put together as one part, and the catalyst is treated as a separate part.
The plastic mold mainly includes two parts, movable half and fixed half, which drive molds to process plastic parts.
The difference in use
Silicone materials can be divided into solid and liquid silicone in terms of physical properties. Solid silicone is mainly used for molded products, such as sleeves. Liquid silicone is mainly used for extruded products, such as pacifiers, etc.
Plastic molds are more widely used in many high-tech industries, such as medical, aerospace,etc.
