e use “silicone” as a catch-all, but that’s like calling everything with four wheels a “car.” A Formula 1 race car and a sixteen-wheeler cargo truck are both “cars,” but you would never use one to do the other’s job. So it is with silicone. The gummy sealant you use to caulk your bathtub shares a common ancestry with the high-performance O-ring in a jet engine, but they are fundamentally different beasts, engineered for different worlds.
Today, we’re going to clear the fog. We’re not just going to define the types of silicone; we’re going to build a mental framework that allows you to choose the right one for your job. We will dissect the four primary families:
- RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) Silicone
- LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber)
- HCR (High Consistency Rubber)
- Silicone Fluids, Gels, and Greases
By the end of this guide, you won’t just know their names. You will understand their chemistry, their processing demands, their strengths, their weaknesses, and exactly what to write on an engineering drawing to get what you actually need.
The Secret to Silicone’s Superpowers: The Siloxane Backbone
Before we can appreciate the differences between the four families, we have to understand what makes them all related. What makes silicone, well, silicone? The answer lies in its core chemistry, which is radically different from almost every other polymer you know.
Most plastics and rubbers—from the polyethylene in a milk jug to the nitrile in a rubber glove—are organic polymers. Their entire structure is built on a backbone of carbon-to-carbon bonds (C-C). This backbone is strong, but it has an Achilles’ heel. The energy in UV radiation from the sun is at the perfect frequency to snap these carbon bonds, making the plastic brittle and causing it to yellow. High temperatures and ozone can also attack and break down these chains.
Silicone is different. It’s an inorganic polymer. Its backbone is not made of carbon. It’s made of a repeating chain of silicon and oxygen atoms (–Si–O–Si–O–). This is called a siloxane backbone.
Why does this matter? Because the silicon-oxygen bond is incredibly strong and stable. It requires far more energy to break than a carbon-carbon bond. This simple fact is the source of all of silicone’s “superpowers”:
- Thermal Stability: It can laugh off temperatures that would melt or embrittle organic rubbers. You can bake a silicone mold at 200°C (392°F) or freeze it to -50°C (-58°F) and its properties barely change.
- UV and Ozone Resistance: The sun’s rays and environmental ozone don’t have enough energy to break the Si-O bond, so silicone doesn’t degrade, crack, or yellow when exposed to the elements for years.
- Chemical Inertness & Biocompatibility: The stable backbone is very unreactive. It doesn’t want to engage with chemicals in its environment, which is why it’s used for chemical tubing and, more importantly, why the human body generally doesn’t react to it. This makes it a go-to material for medical implants.
Attached to the sides of this mighty Si-O backbone are organic groups (usually methyl groups, -CH3). By changing these side groups and the length of the chains, chemists can tune the properties of the silicone, making it a hard rubber, a soft gel, or a slippery fluid. But at its heart, the power comes from that inorganic siloxane chain.
The Four Families: A High-Level Introduction
Every type of silicone starts as a collection of these siloxane chains. The difference between the families comes down to two things: the initial viscosity (how thick it is) and the method used to cross-link those chains into a solid, useful object.
Family 1: RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) Silicone
This is the silicone everyone knows. It’s the caulk in the tube, the gasket-maker for your car’s oil pan. RTV silicones start as a paste or a viscous liquid and, as the name implies, they cure at room temperature without any special equipment.
They primarily come in two flavors:
- One-Part (RTV-1): This is your typical hardware store caulk. It reacts with the moisture in the air to cure. It’s convenient but cures slowly, from the outside in.
- Two-Part (RTV-2): These come in two separate containers (Part A and Part B) that you mix together. The curing starts immediately upon mixing. They cure evenly throughout the entire volume and are used for making molds, potting electronics, and more professional applications.
Family 2: LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber)
This is the high-tech, high-volume workhorse of the silicone world. LSR starts as two liquid components, about the consistency of honey or molasses, which are pumped into an injection molding machine. Inside the machine, they are mixed and injected into a heated mold where they cure in a matter of seconds.
LSR is the material of choice for high-precision, complex parts produced in the tens of thousands or millions. Think of baby bottle nipples, scuba mask seals, automotive electrical connectors, and the tiny valves and diaphragms inside medical devices.
Family 3: HCR (High Consistency Rubber) or HTV (High Temperature Vulcanizing)
If LSR is a liquid, HCR is a solid dough. It has the consistency of modeling clay or uncooked bread dough. It comes in solid sheets or logs and is processed using traditional rubber manufacturing methods like compression molding, transfer molding, or extrusion.
An operator will cut a piece of HCR, place it into a hot mold, and close a press, using heat and immense pressure to force the material into the cavity and cure it. This process is slower and more labor-intensive than LSR injection molding, but it’s great for simpler, robust parts like tubing, oven door seals, and keypad membranes.
Family 4: Silicone Fluids, Gels, and Greases
This final family consists of siloxane chains that are either not cross-linked at all, or only very lightly cross-linked. They don’t become a solid rubber.
- Fluids: These are used as lubricants, hydraulic fluids, and heat transfer oils because their viscosity changes very little with temperature.
- Gels: These are extremely soft, jelly-like cross-linked silicones. They are used for potting sensitive electronics to protect them from vibration, or in medical applications like gel-filled implants and scar treatment sheets.
- Greases: These are silicone fluids mixed with a thickener (like silica) to create a stable, waterproof grease used to lubricate O-rings and seal electrical connectors.
Case Study: The Corroded Sensor and the Vinegar Smell
To understand why these distinctions are critical, let me tell you about Mark, a talented but inexperienced automotive engineer. He was designing a new housing for an engine management sensor. The design required a formed-in-place gasket to seal the electronics from the engine bay.
He went to the local auto parts store and bought a tube of “Black RTV Silicone Gasket Maker.” It seemed perfect. He carefully applied a bead, assembled the prototype, and let it cure. A week later, in testing, the sensor started throwing erratic readings. When the technicians opened the housing, they found a disaster. The copper traces on the circuit board near the gasket were green with corrosion.
What went wrong? Mark had accidentally chosen the wrong type of RTV.
Most consumer-grade RTV silicones use an acetoxy cure system. As they react with moisture in the air, they release a small amount of acetic acid. You know this acid well—it’s the main component of vinegar, which is why the sealant smells like it when it’s curing. While harmless for sealing a window or an oil pan, that acetic acid vapor is highly corrosive to sensitive electronics like copper, brass, and bronze.
Mark had just gassed his expensive sensor with vinegar vapor. The fix was simple but crucial. We switched him to a neutral cure (or oxime cure) RTV silicone. This type of RTV releases a tiny amount of alcohol or another non-corrosive compound as it cures. It’s specifically designed for sealing electronics. The corrosion problem vanished.
This single detail—acetoxy vs. neutral cure—was the difference between a successful product and a pile of scrap circuit boards. This is the level of detail that separates amateurs from professionals.
We’ve now met the four families and seen a real-world example of why the details matter. In the next section, we will put these families in a head-to-head showdown, comparing their mechanical properties, processing requirements, and costs to build a complete decision-making framework.
The Showdown: RTV vs. LSR vs. HCR in the Real World
We’ve met the four families and seen how a seemingly minor detail in chemistry can lead to catastrophic failure. Now, let’s move from the cautionary tale to the playbook. To make an informed engineering decision, you need to see how these materials stack up against each other on the metrics that matter: mechanical properties, processing requirements, and cost.
Silicone fluids, gels, and greases are in a class of their own since they don’t form solid parts, so we’ll set them aside for this direct comparison. Our main event is a three-way title fight between the materials used for gaskets, seals, and components: RTV, LSR, and HCR.
I’ve built a table below that summarizes what I’ve learned over 25 years. This isn’t just data from a spec sheet; this is a summary of real-world trade-offs I consider on every single project that comes through my factory.
Comparison Table: The Engineering Trade-Offs
| Feature | RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) | LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber) | HCR (High Consistency Rubber) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Form | Viscous Liquid or Paste | Two-Part Liquid (like honey) | Solid Putty or Dough |
| Cure Mechanism | Moisture (RTV-1) or Mixing (RTV-2) at room temp | Heat (Platinum-Cure) | Heat (Peroxide or Platinum-Cure) |
| Typical Cure Time | Hours to Days | Seconds to Minutes | Minutes to Hours |
| Processing Method | Manual Dispensing, Mold Pouring | Automated Injection Molding | Compression/Transfer Molding, Extrusion |
| Tooling Cost | Virtually None | High to Very High | Moderate to High |
| Labor Cost / Part | Very High | Very Low | Moderate to High |
| Best for Volume | Prototypes (1-100) | High Volume (10,000+) | Low to Medium Volume (100 – 50,000) |
| Part Complexity | Low to Moderate | Very High (thin walls, overmolding) | Low to Moderate (robust, simple shapes) |
| Consistency | Low (Operator Dependent) | Very High (Automated) | Moderate (Process Dependent) |
| Typical Durometer | 15A – 40A (Soft) | 5A – 80A (Very Soft to Hard) | 20A – 90A (Soft to Very Hard) |
| Mechanical Strength | Low to Moderate | High to Excellent | Good to Very High |
| Biocompatibility | Varies (must specify medical grade) | Excellent (typically platinum-cured) | Varies (can use peroxide cure, requires post-curing for medical) |
| Ideal Application | Field repairs, prototypes, mold making, formed-in-place gaskets | Medical devices, automotive connectors, complex seals, baby products | Tubing, cable insulation, keypads, simple gaskets, oven seals |
Let’s be blunt. Staring at a table can give you the facts, but it doesn’t give you the intuition. To really understand this, we need to get our hands dirty and break down when and why you would choose each of these.
When to Choose RTV: The Prototyping and Field-Expedient Solution
RTV is the master of “now.” Its greatest strength is its simplicity. You don’t need a hundred-ton molding press, a heated mold, or a complex pumping system. You need a caulking gun or a mixing cup and a spatula. This makes it the undisputed king of two domains: prototyping and field repairs.
The Power of “No Tooling”
Imagine you’re designing a new handheld electronic device. You have a 3D-printed housing, but you need a soft, compliant gasket to make it water-resistant for initial testing. Are you going to spend $30,000 and wait six weeks for an LSR injection mold for a design that will probably change tomorrow? Of course not.
You’re going to grab a tube of RTV-2, 3D print a simple channel to act as a mold, pour the silicone in, and let it cure on your workbench overnight. The next morning, you have a functional gasket. It won’t be as strong or as precise as an LSR part, and the surface finish might not be perfect, but it’s good enough to test the form, fit, and function. This is an invaluable tool for rapid iteration.
The Two Flavors of RTV in Detail
As we touched on in the first case study, not all RTV is created equal. The choice between one-part and two-part systems is a critical one.
- RTV-1 (One-Part): This is for sealing and bonding. It cures from the outside-in as moisture from the air diffuses into the silicone. This is called a “moisture cure.” Because of this, it’s terrible for making thick parts. If you try to cast a 1-inch thick block of RTV-1, the outside will skin over, trapping the un-cured material inside. It might take weeks or months for the center to finally cure, if it ever does. It’s for thin beads and layers only. And as we learned, you MUST pay attention to whether it’s an acetoxy (corrosive, vinegar smell) or neutral (non-corrosive) cure system.
- RTV-2 (Two-Part): This is for making things. It uses a “platinum-cure” or “tin-cure” system. When you mix Part A and Part B, the catalyst is introduced uniformly throughout the material. It cures at the same rate everywhere, from the center to the surface. This is called a “bulk cure.” It’s what you use for making molds, potting electronics (encapsulating them in a protective block), and creating prototype parts.
The weakness of RTV is a lack of scalability and precision. It’s almost always a manual process, which means it’s slow, and the final quality is highly dependent on the skill of the operator. It has its place, but it’s not a mass-manufacturing solution.
When to Choose LSR: The Scalable Precision Powerhouse
LSR is the polar opposite of RTV. It is built for speed, precision, and automation. If RTV is like writing a letter by hand, LSR is like using a state-of-the-art printing press that churns out a thousand copies an hour, each one identical down to the micron.
The initial investment is high. An LSR injection mold is a complex and expensive piece of precision engineering. But if you need to make tens of thousands or millions of a complex part, the cost per piece plummets, and the quality is unmatched.
What Can LSR Do That Others Can’t?
The magic of LSR lies in its liquid state. Because it starts as a low-viscosity fluid, it can be forced into tiny, intricate features of a mold that a dough-like HCR could never fill. This allows for:
- Micro-scale features: We can mold parts with features measured in microns.
- Extremely thin walls: Think of the delicate membranes in a speaker or a medical valve.
- Complex geometries: Sharp corners, undercuts, and features that would be impossible to achieve with other methods.
Most importantly, LSR is the master of overmolding. This is the process of molding silicone directly onto another component, usually a rigid plastic or metal part, to create a single, integrated component with a permanent chemical bond.
Case Study: The “Impossible” Duckbill Valve
A few years ago, a medical device startup came to my factory. They had a brilliant design for a new fluid management system, but they were stuck. The heart of their device was a tiny duckbill valve, no bigger than a pencil eraser. It needed to be incredibly precise to control flow rates, and it had to be permanently bonded to a rigid polycarbonate housing.
Their previous supplier had tried to make the valve out of HCR and then manually assemble it into the housing with an adhesive. The result was a disaster. The adhesive created inconsistent bond lines, leading to leaks. The assembly process was slow and resulted in a 50% scrap rate. They were burning through cash and time.
This was a textbook case for LSR overmolding. We designed a complex injection mold with two stages. In the first stage, a robotic arm places the pre-made polycarbonate housings into the mold cavity. In the second stage, the mold closes, and we inject the liquid silicone rubber directly onto and through the housing. The heat of the mold (around 180°C) cures the LSR in about 30 seconds, forming a powerful chemical bond with the polycarbonate substrate.
The result? A perfect, one-piece component with no adhesives, no leak paths, and zero assembly labor. The cycle time was under a minute, and the scrap rate dropped to nearly zero. We could produce thousands of these “impossible” parts a day. This is the power of LSR. It solves problems that are simply unsolvable with other materials and processes.
When to Choose HCR: The Tough, Traditional Workhorse
If LSR is the high-tech scalpel, HCR (or HTV silicone) is the robust, reliable hammer. It’s an older technology, but it is far from obsolete. It excels at producing thick, tough, and simple parts where extreme geometric complexity isn’t the primary concern.
HCR’s dough-like consistency makes it ideal for processing with traditional rubber equipment.
- Compression Molding: An operator places a pre-cut slug of HCR into the bottom half of a heated mold. A press closes, squeezing the material into the cavity shape, and heat cures it. This is great for simple, thick gaskets, engine mounts, and keypad membranes. The tooling is generally cheaper than for LSR.
- Extrusion: The HCR is fed into an extruder, which is essentially a heated screw that pushes the material through a shaped die. This is how we produce continuous lengths of silicone tubing, seals, and profiles, like the gasket for an oven door. You can’t do this with RTV or LSR.
The Peroxide vs. Platinum Cure Distinction
One key detail with HCR is the curing system. While it can use a platinum cure like LSR, it often uses a cheaper peroxide cure system. A peroxide cure creates different byproducts during the curing process. For industrial applications like an oven seal, this is perfectly fine.
However, for medical or food-grade applications, these byproducts must be removed. This is done through a post-curing process, where the molded parts are baked in an oven for several hours to drive off any residual materials. This adds time and cost to the process. Most LSR, being platinum-cured, does not require post-curing, which is another reason it dominates the medical field.
The strength of HCR is in its toughness and its suitability for simple, high-volume extruded profiles. If you need 1,000 meters of silicone tubing or 5,000 simple, thick bumpers, HCR is often the most cost-effective and reliable choice.
We have now seen the strengths and weaknesses of each material family in detail. But how do you translate this knowledge into a decision on your own project? How do you move from theory to a concrete choice?
The Engineer’s Playbook: 5 Questions to Choose the Right Silicone
We’ve explored the four families of silicone, from the versatile fluids to the high-tech LSR. We’ve seen them in a head-to-head showdown and witnessed how a single detail, like the choice between an acetoxy and a neutral cure RTV, can be the difference between a successful product and a pile of corroded electronics.
Knowledge is one thing; action is another. How do you take this information and apply it to the project sitting on your desk right now?
Over my 25 years, I’ve developed a mental checklist. It’s a simple set of five questions that cuts through the noise and points me directly to the right material family and, just as importantly, the right manufacturing process. This isn’t about finding the “best” silicone—it’s about finding the appropriate one.
Question 1: How Many Do You Need? (The Volume Filter)
This is the first and most ruthless filter. It has nothing to do with chemistry and everything to do with economics. Your production volume will eliminate options faster than any other variable.
- 1 to 100 parts? You are in the world of RTV. The answer is almost always RTV-2. The cost of tooling for any other method is unjustifiable. You will be paying for labor (mixing, pouring, de-molding), not for tooling amortization. This is the domain of prototypes, custom movie props, and low-volume mold making.
- 100 to 10,000 parts? This is the gray zone. Your answer is likely HCR using compression molding. The tooling is moderately expensive, but far cheaper than for LSR. The cycle times are slower than LSR, but the cost per part is reasonable at this volume. You might consider RTV if the part is very simple and labor is cheap, but it’s unlikely.
- 10,000 to 10,000,000+ parts? You are squarely in LSR injection molding territory. The astronomical upfront cost of the high-precision, automated mold is now spread across so many parts that the cost per piece becomes pennies. The speed, consistency, and low labor cost of LSR are unbeatable at this scale.
Don’t fight this. I’ve seen clients try to use RTV for a 5,000-part run to “save money on tooling.” They ended up with inconsistent parts, a massive labor bill, and a missed deadline. The volume filter is your first and best guide.
Question 2: What Does It Look Like? (The Complexity Filter)
Once you know your volume, you need to look at the part’s geometry.
- Is it a long, continuous profile? Is it a tube, a cord, or a door seal? If so, you need HCR and Extrusion. No other process can create these continuous shapes efficiently.
- Is it a simple, robust shape? Is it a thick, flat gasket, a bumper, or a simple keypad? HCR via Compression Molding is a strong contender. Its dough-like consistency is perfect for filling out these kinds of simple, chunky geometries.
- Is it complex, thin, or tiny? Does it have delicate, paper-thin walls like a diaphragm? Does it have micro-features or sharp internal corners? Is it a tiny duckbill valve? This is the exclusive domain of LSR. Its honey-like liquid form is the only way to perfectly replicate these intricate features with absolute consistency. Trying to force doughy HCR into a mold for a micro-valve is like trying to frost a wedding cake with modeling clay.
Question 3: Where Will It Live? (The Application Filter)
Now we get into the chemistry. The operating environment of the part dictates the specific grade of silicone you need.
- Will it touch a human body or food? You must specify a biocompatible, medical-grade or food-safe silicone. This almost always means you’ll be using a platinum-cure system, which points strongly towards LSR or a specific grade of platinum-cured HCR that has been properly post-cured.
- Will it touch sensitive electronics? As we saw in my case study, you must avoid acetoxy-cure RTV-1. You need a neutral-cure RTV-1 for sealing or a platinum-cure RTV-2 for potting and encapsulation to prevent corrosion.
- Will it be exposed to extreme temperatures or chemicals? While all silicones are good, some are better than others. For extreme high-heat applications (like a turbocharger hose), you might need a specific grade of HCR. For resistance to aggressive oils, you might need a specialized Fluorosilicone Rubber (FVMQ), a high-performance cousin of HCR and LSR. You must check the material datasheet for specific chemical compatibility.
Question 4: What Does It Do? (The Mechanical Filter)
The function of the part dictates its required physical properties, primarily its hardness.
- Does it need to be a super-soft, vibration-damping gel? You’re looking at Silicone Gels and Fluids. These aren’t solid rubbers; they are designed for cushioning and damping.
- Does it need to be a soft, compliant seal? A durometer of 20A to 50A is common. This can be achieved with RTV, LSR, or HCR. Your choice will be driven by the other four questions.
- Does it need to be a firm, structural element? A durometer of 60A to 80A is required. This is typically the domain of LSR and HCR, as they can be formulated to be much harder and stronger than most RTVs.
Question 5: What’s Your Real-World Budget and Timeline? (The Reality Filter)
This is the final, pragmatic check.
- Timeline: Do you need a part in your hands in 48 hours to test a concept? RTV is your only choice. An LSR mold takes 6-8 weeks, minimum.
- Budget: Do you have a $500 budget for a handful of prototypes? RTV. Do you have a $50,000+ tooling budget for a mass-produced product? LSR.
By walking through these five questions, you create a specification. You don’t just arrive at “silicone.” You arrive at, for example, “a 50A durometer, medical-grade, platinum-cure Liquid Silicone Rubber part, produced via injection molding for a volume of 250,000 units per year.” That is a statement a manufacturer like me can act on.
From Decision to Drawing: The Final Specification
Once you’ve used the five questions to select the right material and process, you must communicate it clearly on an engineering drawing or specification sheet. A complete silicone specification includes:
- Material: e.g., Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR)
- Grade: e.g., Medical Grade, USP Class VI
- Hardness: e.g., 50 Shore A Durometer (+/- 5)
- Color: e.g., Clear, or matched to a Pantone number
- Post-Cure Requirements: e.g., “Post-cure for 4 hours at 200°C” (critical for HCR) or “No post-cure required.”
- Critical Tolerances: The tightest dimensions that must be controlled.
This level of detail removes ambiguity and ensures you get exactly what you designed.
Conclusion: The Right Tool for the Job
Silicone is not a single material. It is a vast and versatile platform. There is no “best” silicone, just as there is no “best” tool in a toolbox. A hammer is perfect for a nail but terrible for a screw.
RTV is the adjustable wrench of the silicone world—versatile, essential for quick fixes and custom jobs, but not the tool for high-volume production. HCR is the hammer—robust, reliable, and perfect for tough, straightforward jobs. LSR is the CNC machining center—a massive initial investment that delivers unparalleled precision, speed, and automation for the most complex and demanding tasks at scale.
By understanding the fundamental differences in their chemistry and processing, and by asking the right questions about your specific application, you move from guessing to engineering. You ensure that the remarkable properties of silicone are working for you, not against you, creating a product that is reliable, cost-effective, and perfectly suited for its purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is silicone toxic or body-safe?
It depends entirely on the grade. Industrial-grade silicones (like acetoxy-cure RTV) can release byproducts that are not safe for human contact. However, medical-grade, platinum-cured silicones (most LSR and some RTV-2/HCR) are specifically designed for biocompatibility. They undergo rigorous testing (like USP Class VI) to be certified safe for skin contact and even for use inside the human body. Always specify the grade required for your application.
What is the difference between 100% silicone and 100% RTV silicone?
This is mostly marketing terminology. RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) is a type of 100% silicone. The term “100% Silicone” is often used on consumer products to distinguish them from sealants like acrylic caulk that may have silicone additives but are not pure silicone. So, a tube of “100% RTV Silicone” is simply a specific type of pure silicone designed to cure at room temperature.
What is the difference between silicone and liquid silicone?
“Silicone” is the broad family name for all polymers based on a silicon-oxygen backbone. “Liquid Silicone” typically refers to two things: 1) Uncured silicone fluids or gels, or 2) More commonly, Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR), the two-part liquid system used in injection molding. So, LSR is a specific type of silicone.
What are the two main types of silicone sealant?
The two main types of one-part RTV silicone sealant are acetoxy-cure and neutral-cure. Acetoxy-cure sealants release acetic acid (smells like vinegar) as they cure and can corrode sensitive metals and electronics. Neutral-cure sealants release non-corrosive compounds (like alcohol) and are safe for use on virtually any material.
Can you 3D print silicone?
Yes, but it is a highly specialized process. It does not work like a typical FDM (plastic) or SLA (resin) 3D printer. Specialized printers use dispensing technology to extrude and cure RTV-like silicones layer by layer. It is excellent for creating complex, one-off prototypes of soft components but is not yet a mainstream mass-manufacturing technology.
External Resources and Further Reading
- Dow Inc. (formerly Dow Corning) – Silicone Science: https://www.dow.com/en-us/brand/dow-corning.html (Dow is a foundational inventor and manufacturer of silicones. Their technical resources are among the best in the world for understanding the core chemistry.)
- Wacker Chemie AG – Silicone Technology: https://www.wacker.com/cms/en-us/products/silicones/silicones.html (Another global leader in silicone manufacturing, offering deep technical documentation on LSR, HCR, and RTV applications.)
- Medical Design & Outsourcing – “What’s the difference between LSR and HCR?”: https://www.medicaldesignandoutsourcing.com/whats-the-difference-between-lsr-and-hcr/ (An excellent industry-specific article that highlights the trade-offs between these two materials in the demanding medical device field.)
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