Hydroxy silicone oil, a polydimethylsiloxane oily liquid with a hydroxyl end group, not only inherits the characteristics of methyl silicone oil, but also demonstrates its unique functions in multiple fields. In silicone rubber processing, low viscosity hydroxyl silicone oil plays an excellent role in structural control, simplifying the process while also improving process performance. In addition, it is widely used for waterproofing, softening, and anti sticking treatment of fabrics, leather, and paper, as well as in multiple fields such as coatings, electronics and electrical, biomedical, food, and personal care.
Through in-depth exploration of its structural characteristics, we found that Si-O bonds exhibit excellent thermal stability in hydroxyl silicone oil. The Si-O-Si bond generates dipole induction on the alkyl group connected to the Si atom, further enhancing its stability. This special silicon oxygen chain structure also endows hydroxyl silicone oil with low surface tension and weak intermolecular forces, making it excellent in hydrophobicity. Compared to traditional hydrocarbons, the intermolecular forces of dimethyl siloxane are significantly reduced, resulting in a decrease in surface tension and making it easier for hydroxyl silicone oil to spread at the interface.
With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, green and environmentally friendly materials have gradually become the new favorite of the market. As one of them, water-based polyurethane is gradually replacing traditional solvent based polyurethane. However, water-based polyurethane still has shortcomings in terms of water resistance. To solve this problem, combining hydroxyl silicone oil with polyurethane has become an innovative choice. The advantages of low surface energy, hydrophobicity, and weather resistance of hydroxy silicone oil have been fully utilized here. Through copolymerization modification, not only the defects of single polymers are overcome, but also many excellent properties of polyurethane silicone copolymer products are endowed, such as good flexibility, water resistance, surface enrichment ability, and biocompatibility. In addition, this softener can maintain the soft feel of the fabric while giving it full elasticity and dryness, meeting high-end wearing needs and demonstrating broad market prospects. At the same time, when used as a leather finishing agent, it can significantly improve the durability and aesthetics of leather.
The selection of film-forming materials has a profound impact on the physical properties of finished leather during the leather coating process. Especially the top coating, it endows the finished leather with key properties such as water resistance, solvent resistance, and mechanical abrasion resistance, thus playing a decisive role in the overall appearance of the leather. However, the hydrophilic ionic groups introduced by polyurethane in its molecular chain often result in poor water resistance of the leather it paints. To overcome this drawback, we can consider introducing hydroxy silicone oil into the coating material. Hydroxysilicone oil plays an important role in the synthesis and modification of waterborne polyurethane due to its excellent hydrophobicity, breathability, and weather resistance. Through this method, we can significantly enhance the moisture resistance of leather and improve its tactile feel, making it more smooth and comfortable.
Sometimes, during the leather back coating process, there may be issues with the coating not being able to withstand the immersion and damage of solvents in the shoe adhesive, resulting in coating peeling off. However, hydroxyl silicone oil, with its excellent breathability, weather resistance, corrosion resistance, and non-toxic properties, can effectively solve this problem. In addition, hydroxyl silicone oil also plays an important role in the textile and clothing industry. It can be used as a fabric softener, lubricant, waterproofing agent, and finishing agent to meet the high-end needs of textiles. At the same time, in order to meet different functional requirements, chemical products are constantly developing hydroxyl silicone oil products that can be used with various functional additives such as waterproofing agents and flame retardants and have excellent hand feel. These products not only improve fabric performance, but also endow fabrics with excellent deepening effect, storage stability, and good hand feel. In addition to being used as an additive to functionalize textiles, hydroxyl silicone oil will also be widely applied in the fields of textile coating, printing, and waterproof coating.

Hydroxysilicone oil is widely used in the coating industry, which can significantly improve the production process of coatings, enhance the storage stability of coatings, and optimize the construction process. In addition, hydroxyl silicone oil can also improve the quality of coatings by endowing them with special functions such as leveling, scratch resistance, anti adhesion, pigment dispersion, smooth surface treatment, wetting, hydrophobicity, and defoaming. Nowadays, hydroxyl silicone oil has become an indispensable component in coatings, and its selection and use are of great significance for reducing coating costs and improving production efficiency. It should be noted that different coating systems require the use of different hydroxyl silicone oil additives, but these additives often have multiple effects and sometimes can even be applied to other systems.