In the important segment of organosilicon monomer synthesis in modern chemical industry, for every ton of mainstream product methyl chlorosilane produced, about 10%-15% of by-products, known in the industry as "high-boilers," are generated. In the past, these complex mixtures, difficult to separate, were often treated as waste, either cheaply incinerated or landfilled, causing not only huge resource waste but also potential environmental pollution risks due to their chlorine content. However, with the deepening of green chemistry and circular economy concepts, an innovative technology has successfully transformed this "burden" into a high-value "treasure"—high-boiling silicone oil, making it a rising star in the chemical industry's circular economy.
High-boiling silicone oil is made primarily from methyl chlorosilane high-boilers through a series of refined chemical processes including alcoholysis, hydrolysis, condensation, and distillation. This process ingeniously converts the originally chaotic mixture of chlorosilanes into a complex copolymer primarily composed of linear or cyclic polysiloxanes, containing small amounts of functional groups like phenyl and vinyl. This unique molecular structure endows high-boiling silicone oil with a series of excellent comprehensive properties: it inherits the inherent silicone family traits of wide temperature resistance (-40°C to 200°C), excellent electrical insulation, low surface tension, and hydrophobicity, while its complex composition gives it stronger defoaming, spreading, and lubricating capabilities than single-component silicone oils.
Currently, the application map of high-boiling silicone oil is rapidly expanding. In the chemical production field, it is an efficient and durable defoamer, widely used in PVC resin polymerization, papermaking, wastewater treatment, and fermentation industries to quickly eliminate stubborn foam and ensure continuous, stable production. In the rubber and plastic processing industry, it serves as a high-performance release agent, forming a smooth isolation film between the mold and the product, making it easy to demold complex-shaped products without affecting subsequent painting or bonding. In the electronics and electrical industry, it is used as a base oil for potting compounds and thermal greases, providing reliable insulation and heat dissipation protection. More promisingly, specialty damping greases and lubricating greases formulated with it as a base oil are gradually entering high-end manufacturing fields like automotive and machinery.
