They are used today in all sorts of different areas. Silicone products, of which there are more than a thousand, are classified in three basic groups: silicone fluids, silicone elastomers and silicone resins.

The great versatility of silicones is due primarily to their exceptional properties:

• Outstanding resistance to temperatures ranging from very low to very high
• Long-term durability
• Excellent electrical insulation
• Excellent water-repellency and therefore highly effective for conferring hydrophobic properties on a wide range of organic and inorganic substrates
• Generally of a low order of toxicity

Among other applications, silicones are used in greases, release agents, foam-control agents, paint additives, paper coating agents, impregnating agents for textiles and leather, and in masonry protection agents.