How to Choose a Silicone Curing Agent? Peroxide vs Platinum
For ordinary industrial miscellaneous parts, low-cost products, with no requirements for odorlessness or high transparency → choose peroxide;
For food-grade, medical-grade, highly transparent, odor-free, non-yellowing and high-end export products → choose platinum.
I. Core Differences (Key for Selection)
1. Peroxide Curing (DCP / 2,5-Dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexane / Bis-2,4-dichlorobenzoyl peroxide)
✅ AdvantagesLow cost, cost-effective formula and easy raw material procurement.Tolerant to fillers and impurities; carbon black, color masterbatches and general fillers are all applicable.Suitable for high-temperature compression molding, extrusion and thick-section industrial products.
❌ DisadvantagesProduces small-molecule byproducts during curing; causes odor, blooming and long-term yellowing.Post-curing (secondary oven baking) is mandatory to remove odor and volatile substances.Cannot pass strict certifications such as food grade, medical grade, FDA and LFGB.Large compression set and average aging resistance.
2. Platinum Curing (Addition Cure)
✅ AdvantagesNo byproducts, odorless, no blooming and permanent anti-yellowing performance.One-time curing forming; no need for long-time secondary baking.Compliant with FDA, food grade, medical grade, baby products and drinking water contact standards.Superior resilience, temperature resistance, aging resistance and dimensional accuracy.
❌ DisadvantagesHigher raw material cost, noticeably more expensive than peroxide curing systems.Poisoning risk: Sulfur, phosphorus, nitrogen, tin, lead, certain colorants and release agents will cause curing failure.Strict requirements for formula purity and production environment; impurities are not allowed.
II. Direct Selection by Application Scenarios
Must Choose Peroxide
Ordinary industrial seals, foot pads, buttons and general rubber parts
Black or dark-colored silicone products filled with carbon black and heavy fillers
Low-end civil products with no export, food-grade or medical-grade requirements
Cost-control priority; acceptable for slight odor and gradual yellowing over time
Must Choose Platinum Curing Agent
Food contact products: baking molds, silicone kitchenware, straws, sealing rings
Medical-grade products: catheters, medical silicone accessories and implant-related parts
Baby & infant products: nipples, teething toys, tableware
High-transparency products: transparent silicone tubes, clear buttons, lighting silicone parts
Products exported to Europe, America and Brazil ANVISA, requiring FDA / LFGB / ISO13485 certification
Products requiring odor-free, non-blooming, long-term anti-yellowing and high resilience
III. Selection by Production Process
High-temperature compression molding, conventional compounded silicone rubber, mass-produced low-end parts → PeroxideLiquid Silicone Rubber (LSR), injection molding, precision small parts and high cleanliness requirements → Platinum
