Differences Between PVC and Silicone Products: An Article to Help You Easily Distinguish Them

Have you ever encountered such a dilemma? You know that your product is made of soft material and can be customized with various patterns and shapes, but you can't tell whether it's made of PVC or silicone?

Don't worry. Today, we'll comprehensively analyze the key differences between these two materials!

PVC material is a mixture of PVC powder and PVC oil, inherently in a liquid state, and is shaped through subsequent processing. Silicone, scientifically known as silicon dioxide gel or zeolite, is a polymer compound. Its main components are silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen, with silicon accounting for as high as 46.5% - 50%, followed by oxygen at 33.5% - 38%, and hydrogen only accounting for 1% - 1.5%. Additionally, it contains trace amounts of elements such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Its unique chemical composition endows it with a solid form and hydrophilic properties, allowing it to combine with water molecules to form hydrates.

Thanks to its excellent properties, silicone is widely used in various fields, including industry, healthcare, agriculture, and environmental protection. Moreover, its environmental performance far surpasses that of PVC. However, the high - quality raw materials also make the price of silicone about twice that of PVC, resulting in significant price differences for the same products made from these two materials.

Take our bar mats as an example. The molds for PVC bar mats are made of aluminum, while those for silicone bar mats are made of steel. Different materials naturally lead to different costs, and the mold cost for silicone bar mats is much higher. **Differences in Minimum Order Quantities** Due to the low mold cost and easy processing of PVC bar mats, the minimum order quantity is only 50 pieces. In contrast, because of the high mold cost and complex processing of silicone bar mats, the minimum order quantity is usually over 500 pieces. With an understanding of these differences, you'll be able to distinguish between PVC and silicone materials with ease in the future! If you have any further questions or product customization needs, feel free to contact us!