Silicones

Silicones are a synthetic silicon compound, they are not found in nature. When specific silanes are made to undergo a specific reaction, they are turned into silicone, a very special silicon complex. Silicone is a polymer and is prized for its versatility, temperature durability, low volatility, general chemical resistance and thermal stability. Silicone has a unique chemical structure, but it shares some core structural elements with both silicates and silanes. (See Figure 1)

Figure 1: The core unit of a silicone

Silicone polymers are used for a huge array of things. Among numerous other things, breast implants are made out of silicone.