R&D
Compound Development at Makvin Polymer – Turning Ideas into Performance
In the world of silicone extrusion, performance begins at the molecular level. The strength, flexibility, and durability of a silicone profile all depend on one core ingredient — the compound. At Makvin Polymer, we invest heavily in developing customized silicone compounds that align with our clients’ performance, process, and regulatory requirements.
What Is Silicone Compounding?
Compounding is the process of blending base silicone polymers with precise combinations of additives, fillers, and curing agents to achieve desired physical and chemical properties.
The formulation defines how the material behaves — whether it needs to remain flexible at -50°C, resist compression at high heat, or retain its color and gloss after years of use.
In short, compounding transforms raw silicone into a high-performance engineered material.
How We Develop a New Compound
Our development journey begins with understanding the client’s need — the application, environment, and performance expectations.
From there, our R&D team designs a formulation based on:
- Type of silicone base (peroxide-cured, platinum-cured, or specialty elastomer)
- Reinforcing fillers for tensile and tear strength
- Pigments and additives for color, UV, or chemical resistance
- Cure system optimization for consistent extrusion and post-curing behavior
Each compound recipe is carefully mixed and processed in a controlled environment to maintain consistency and purity.
Testing & Validation
Before any compound moves to production, it goes through a rigorous round of testing in our in-house lab.
We evaluate:
- Tensile strength, elongation, hardness, compression set, and specific gravity
- Thermal aging and recovery behavior
- Surface finish, tackiness, and color stability
These tests ensure the compound performs reliably under its intended conditions — whether in a medical device, a food-grade seal, or an industrial gasket.
Pilot Trials & Fine-Tuning
Once a compound passes lab testing, we conduct pilot extrusion trials using actual dies and production parameters.
This step helps us validate how the compound behaves during real processing — flow, curing, shrinkage, and surface appearance.
Based on trial results, fine adjustments are made to optimize the balance between performance and processability.
Approval & Commercialization
After successful pilot validation, the compound is approved for commercial production.
We assign it a unique internal compound code, document all properties and test results, and begin full-scale manufacturing.
This ensures every future batch meets the same proven specifications.
Why It Matters to Our Clients
Custom compound development helps our clients in three key ways:
- Performance Matching: Products tailored to their specific temperature, mechanical, or chemical exposure.
- Cost Optimization: Right formulation reduces waste, improves efficiency, and avoids over-specification.
- Reliability & Consistency: Each lot performs identically, minimizing variation and ensuring dependable results in critical applications.
At Makvin Polymer, compound development is more than a technical process — it’s how we help our clients achieve reliability, efficiency, and innovation in their own products.
