Silicone rubber for railway parts

Growth of the mobility market

Railways have become an important part of the transport mix, and rail system managers and train operators are constantly looking for railway technologies that are more efficient, safer, and more cost-effective. 

In Europe, EN 45545 relating to rolling stock has been in place since 2018, and it reinforces the need for high-temperature and fire-resistant materials. In addition, railway parts such as profiles, panels and gangways and bellows must have high mechanical performance to pass the stringent dynamic tests required by the market. 

Properties of silicone rubber

Silicone rubber has high thermal and fire resistance and good mechanical properties over a wide range of temperatures. With the evolution of standards and technical requirements, it has progressively replaced EPDM and is now the material of choice for profiles, gangways and bellows. 

At Elkem, our experts have been developing and adapting our chemical compounds for our customers, to improve their long-term durability, and achieve low density, high elasticity and compression set, and their temperature and fire-resistance.

Fire-resistant silicones for the railway sector

​Find out more about our fire-resistant silicone elastomers.

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Our product offering

Our products for railway parts include:

BLUESIL™ FR 8700 series for panels, gangways, bellows and profiles (such as doors, walls and windows):

• Specifically designed for use in transportation 
• Available in three grades of hardness: 50, 60 and 75 ShA
• Can be colored
• Cured with peroxide and transformed through molding, calendering and extrusion processes
• High mechanical performance at low and high temperature
• High level of fire resistance
• Low smoke emissions
• Non-toxic and non-corrosive smoke (silicones are halogen-free)
• Compliant with EN 45545-2
  1. The three grades comply with the HL3 level of the EN 45545-2 for R22 and R23 applications (profiles)
  2. BLUESIL™ MF 8760 grade complies with the HL3 level of the EN 45545-2 for R1 and R7 applications (Gangways and bellows)
  3. BLUESIL™ MF 8775 grade complies with HL2 level of the EN 45545-2 for R1 and R7 applications (Gangways and bellows)

BLUESIL™ HFR8770 optimized for gangways & bellows:

• Improved safety and security
  1. This grade has higher fire performances than the BLUESIL™ MF 8700 series
  2. Excellent fire resistance even without post-cure
  3. Low smoke emissions
  4. Non-toxic and non-corrosive smoke (silicones are halogen-free)
• Easier processability
  1. Easily extruded and calandered
  2. High green strength: the silicone can be easily applied on the fabric
  3. Can be used without post-cure in certain condition to ease and reduce the production time
• Better durability 
  1. Very good mechanical properties even without post-cure 
  2. No tearing during use 

The Elkem difference

At Elkem, we have dedicated people located around the globe, committed to your success. We have developed a good understanding of the regulations and tests in this field, and our specialists can guide you in terms of legislation as well as giving you regulatory support.

Because each project has specific requirements (for example, in terms of color or fabric), we're ready to help you develop solutions that meet your manufacturing needs and technical requirements, and comply with the required standard. You can also benefit from our worldwide presence and dual sourcing.