Nov 23, 2017
Derivatization of polysiloxanes
The final action to be considered is thederivatizing reaction. In this step, the reaction group added to the functionalaction step is further reacted to give a new compound, and the reaction of thehydroxyl group with the polydimethylsiloxane copolymer polyol is an example ofsuch a reaction. In fact, a series of surface-active siloxanes, comparable to alarge number of standard surfactants, have been developed and marketed.Silicone esters are an excellent example of the effect of derivatization on theperformance of siloxanes produced by the esterification of polydimethylsiloxanecopolyols with the recommended fatty acids. The addition of an aliphaticcompound results in a product which, by esterification, has groups soluble inwater, siloxanes and fats in the same molecule.
Whether a silicone product is a formulatoror a setback depends on the formulator's knowledge of the building, function,and derivatization of the molecules used in the formulation. As the time todevelop new products becomes shorter and shorter, this understanding becomesmore important.