English translation of the full article (unified, cohesive text ready for a blog):
ELASTOSIL® FX by Wacker Chemie is a line of platinum-cure RTV-2 silicones that has been revolutionizing not only the special effects industry but, above all, medicine, prosthetics, and soft robotics for years. Imagine a material that in touch, elasticity, and appearance is almost indistinguishable from real human skin — while allowing you to create limb prosthetics, orthotics, medical training phantoms, “second skin” for robots, or soft actuators. This is exactly ELASTOSIL® FX — a premium range chosen by professionals seeking the highest quality, complete control, and reliability.
The entire range consists of four bases with different hardness levels and a complete toolbox of additives, allowing you to literally design the material to suit your exact needs. All products are platinum-cure (addition-curing), mixed in a simple 1:1 ratio, skin-safe, translucent, self-degassing, free of chemical shrinkage, and offer excellent detail reproduction. Most importantly, they allow full customization of hardness, viscosity, curing time, and surface tack without leaving an oily residue.
The differences between the bases are crucial and allow perfect adaptation to each application:
ELASTOSIL® FX 30 Gel A/B is the softest variant (Shore 00/30) — a dense, extremely soft gel with low viscosity of around 4000 mPa·s, elongation over 900%, and short working time. Ideal for the most delicate layers: scars, “fat make-up,” the thinnest second skin, filling phantoms with fatty tissue, or super-soft prosthetic elements.
ELASTOSIL® FX 10 A/B (Shore A 10) is a classic for soft robotics and delicate prosthetics. Viscosity 4500–6000 mPa·s, elongation up to 950%, and excellent adhesion to topcoats like Glatzan or Super Baldiez. The first choice for life molding, second skin in robots, delicate facial and breast prosthetics, wounds and scars, and medical simulators requiring maximum flexibility.
ELASTOSIL® FX 20 A/B (Shore A 20) is the golden mean — a perfect balance of softness and mechanical strength (tear strength 25 N/mm, elongation over 750%). Most often chosen for limb prosthetics, orthotic elements, body parts, training phantoms, and all applications where natural mobility and durability are needed.
ELASTOSIL® FX 28 A/B (Shore A 28) is the hardest and most durable member of the family — viscosity 10,000 mPa·s, tear strength 28 N/mm, tensile strength 6 N/mm². Excellent for structural parts of prosthetics and orthotics, reproduction molds, orthopedic insoles and pelottes, decorative prototypes, and load-bearing elements in soft robotics.
You can add ELASTOSIL® FX Softener to any base — an absolute game-changer. It lets you go down to Shore 00 while precisely controlling the level of tack (from “no tack” through “slight” to “very strong tack”) with no oil on the surface. For example, with FX 20, just 20% softener gives Shore 00/50 with slight tack, and 50% produces an ultra-soft, highly tacky material perfect for second skin.
Additionally, you have WACKER® Stabilizer 43 (from free-flowing liquid to paste — a few drops per 100 g completely changes behavior on vertical surfaces), WACKER® Catalyst EP (speeds up curing to just a few minutes), and WACKER® Inhibitor PT 88 (extends pot life up to 120 minutes — invaluable for large molds and complex lifecasting).
In practice, these silicones truly shine in medicine and robotics. In prosthetics and orthotics, they create skin so realistic that patients forget they are wearing a prosthesis. In medical phantoms, they allow building multi-layer models (FX 30 Gel + FX 10 for soft tissue, FX 28 for the skeleton). In soft robotics, they form “second skin” that behaves and looks like real tissue — flexible sensors, pneumatic actuators, and robotic hands that respond to touch. Plus insoles, pelottes, orthoses, and any elements requiring comfort and durability.
Preparation is incredibly simple: weigh 1:1 A+B (platinum is in component A — remember to use the same batch number), mix thoroughly for 30–60 seconds, add the chosen additives, optionally degas, and pour or apply. After 45–60 minutes, you have a ready, flexible, hyper-realistic element.
ELASTOSIL® FX is not just ordinary silicone — it is German engineering precision that gives you full control, the highest quality, and effects you won’t achieve with any other material. If you create prosthetics, phantoms, medical simulators, soft robotics elements, or are looking for a material that truly mimics human skin — this is exactly it.
Looking for the perfect set for your project? Write to me — I will help you choose the right base and additives so you get precisely what you need. ELASTOSIL® FX by Wacker Chemie — because your prosthesis, your phantom, and your robot deserve skin that looks and feels truly real.
Ready for the next level? I’m waiting for your message!
info@silray.pl
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