Silicone elastomers have been used in extreme temperature environments virtually since their invention, so it is not surprising to find that over the past decade they have become accepted as the material of choice for airbag coating. Even since their early commercialisation in the 1940s, they were put to use in a wide temperature range, for example -50C to +300C for limited exposure in military applications, where they provided unrivalled utility in aircraft engine gaskets and greases. As an airbag coating they are required to withstand the extreme temperatures of pyrotechnic and cold gas inflators and as well be capable of allowing successful deployment down to -40C or as high as +60C, whilst being potentially required to do this on the last day of a vehicle's life. In addition, silicone elastomers are capable of excellent adhesion to airbag fabric in the form of a high quality and impermeable elastic film. Such properties are essential for all types of airbag, but inflatable curtains present an even greater technical challenge. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126782.
Samenvatting