Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General I was wondering if anyone knew how to thicken Polydimethylsiloxane (silicone)

  • I was wondering if anyone knew how to thicken Polydimethylsiloxane (silicone)

    Posted by Anonymous on March 11, 2019 at 2:22 pm

    I am trying to thicken Polydimethylsiloxane .  It is an ingredient used in a tire dressing. I like the shine it provides, but it is too thin.  Is there a way to thicken this ingredient without ruining the formula?

    Sponge replied 5 years ago 4 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • oldperry

    Member
    March 11, 2019 at 2:32 pm

    Buy a thicker grade?

    What is the whole formula?

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    March 11, 2019 at 4:11 pm

    I am unsure of the whole formula as it is bought already from the MFG this way.  I just wanted to modify the item to make it thicker instead of having two items that appear to be identical, but one is thicker than the other. I guess this might be a difficult one.

  • gld010

    Member
    March 13, 2019 at 2:22 pm

    Polydimethylsiloxane  is known as dimethicone in the cosmetics world. the way to get thicker dimethicone is to do what perry said and buy a thicker grade. the thickness of dimethicone depends on how the silicone polymer is structured. im unsure of how it works in the industrial fluid setting but in cosmetics you purchase dimethicone by the cSt, which is a measure of how thick it is. dimethicone can vary from 2 cst, incredibly thin, to 1,000,000,000 cSt and even above, really thick. there should be a given cSt in the paperwork somewhere, if not on the label or in the name itself. your supplier should have a thicker option.

  • gunther

    Member
    March 13, 2019 at 4:50 pm

    I actually had the opposite problem
    dimethicone (or even 15% dimethiconol) is just too thick for car shine as is
    so I diluted it with cyclomethicone D5

    You can make it really water thin so it can be sprayed-on, and evaporates without leaving surfaces wet
    The only problem is solubilizing fragrance in a 100% silicones formulation.
    Remember to add the word FLAMMABLE in the label.

  • Sponge

    Member
    March 22, 2019 at 11:17 pm

    I believe quarternium-90 bentonite can thicken dimethicone with relatively low use, but it requires significant agitation for upwards of a half hour. 

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