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The Textile Magazine
JUly 2012
Silicones help swimmers gain
competitive edge
technology
When milliseconds can mean the difference between
a gold or silver medal, competitive swimmers can
count on silicone accessories to give them the edge.
“Races are often won or lost by swimmers’ ability
to concentrate on their technique,” said Ivan Mini,
rubber global market manager for the XIAMETER
brand from Dow Corning. “Silicone swim caps and
goggles, among other applications, provide the per-
formance and comfortable fit that allow them to do
just that.”
Silicone swim caps offer a number of performance
and aesthetic advantages. They can be water repel-
lant, soft, pliant, and put on and taken off easily. Also,
silicone rubber provides the strength, comfort and du-
rability for easy-to-adjust straps on goggles that protect
eyes and help swimmers see clearly underwater.
“By providing comfort, style and functionality in
high-performance swimming equipment, silicones can
help enhance the experience for swimmers of all ages
and abilities. Silicone swim accessories are true cham-
pions in the pool”, said Mini.
Fabricators have found success using liquid silicone
rubbers in swim accessory applications. XIAMETER
brand liquid silicone rubbers such as XIAMETER
RBL-9200 LSR series and XIAMETER RBL-2004
LSR series are available to fabricators directly via
xiameter.com
or through a local distributor.
The XIAMETER brand of Dow Corning Corporation
offers market-based prices for standard silicone prod-
ucts. Introduced in 2002, the brand offers thousands of
products, including silicone fluids, emulsions, anti-
foams, silanes, sealants, resins, coatings and rubbers.
The brand is a no-frills model offering cost effective
products through streamlined services and a web-ena-
bled order platform.
w
Ms. Shelley J. Bausch,
Vice President and Executive Director, XIAMETER