A silicone oil is a liquid silicone polymerized with natural organic derivatives. The main ingredient is polyethylene glycol, which is a typical polymerization agent. These polymer chains are of industrial interest due to their high thermal conductivity and their unique lubricating characteristics. Silicone oils are particularly useful in various industries where friction and temperature variations are a problem. The lubrication properties of silicone oils allow them to be used for friction reduction on parts that tend to get friction related problems. They are also used in a wide range of applications, including friction reduction on the moving parts of precision bearings, sealants used in air conditioning systems, friction reducing friction joints on gears and rollers, as well as sealing and lubricating oil blocks in bearings.

In one study, silicone oil was found to outperform petroleum jelly when it comes to two types of lubrication. One such application is found in aerospace applications. A team from the NASA Langley Space Center has recently developed a new type of emulsification technology using silicone oil. NASA researchers discovered that their new oil emulsification technology is more effective than the regular petroleum jelly lubricant. In one study conducted by the NASA team, silicone oil reduced friction between two pieces of aluminum oxide nearly three hundred percent.

Another major advantage of this new emulsification technology is its thermal stability. Silicone oil molecules are found to have a low molecular weight, which means they are much less susceptible to molecular breakage during normal use. In addition to this low molecular weight, these emulsions are highly elastic. This property allows the oils to retain their shape, even when heated to extreme temperatures, without changing their basic structure. This property is particularly important in applications where heat and pressure play a major role.

Silicone oil emulsification is a process that companies are already using to lubricate a wide variety of products. However, the new type of emulsification is believed to have many advantages over conventional silicone oil emulsions. For instance, it appears to work better with a variety of polymer systems and it also reduces the amount of surface area exposed to heat during application. Some experts believe that the discovery of this new emulsification process may be the answer to the ongoing challenge faced by manufacturers and engineers when it comes to emulsifying organic liquids.

Companies that produce and manufacture their own lubricants have found that adding silicone oil makes the process easier. They are able to tailor the amount of silicone oil that is added according to the type of polymer they want to create. The end result is that the lubricants are more effective because the silicone oils eliminate the molecular bonds that hinder the effective transport of heat and friction between various polymers. The increase in thermal stability further improves the performance of these lubricants.

The use of silicone oil emulsification as a means of increasing the thermal stability of a product is particularly important for those involved in the electronics and micromanufacturing industries. These manufacturers are currently working to develop new types of silicon-based liquids that can be applied directly to electronics and other microstructures. In the past, silicone oil emulsions have been effective for only heating and de-icing parts. It is hoped that future versions of silicone oil emulsification will be better able to handle the stresses that are placed on electronic and microfabricated microcircuits.