Silicone as a Moulding Material for Loss Compensation:
How to Choose the Right One?
Hélène Blanpain*, Dominique Driesmans, Sarah Benrubi
Keywords:
silicone rubber; mould; loss compensation; glass; ceramic
Silicone rubbers are commonly used to reproduce all or part
of an object. They are used mostly on objects in good condi-
tion made of low- or non-porous materials, such as high-
fired earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and glass. They are
made for the art-moulding market but also for the dental
industry, which offers a wider range and specific properties.
The silicone rubber commonly used for making moulds to
enable loss compensation in conservation is a room tempera-
ture vulcanising (RTV) rubber silicone, which is a two-
component system: the synthetic rubber and a catalyst. Two
major types of RTV rubber silicone are available: the con-
densation reaction, or tin-catalysed, rubber, and the addition
reaction, or platinum-catalysed, rubber.
Although condensation silicone has a shrinkage (0.1–1
vol.%) slightly higher than the addition-reaction-type sili-
cone (0.01–0.1 vol.%) due to its volatile components, both
types can be used to reproduce very precise details of an
object. Condensation silicone, with a tin-based catalyst, can
sometimes adhere to glass or silica surfaces, such as porcelain
or enamel ceramics, due to the similarity in composition
(containing Si–OH). Even though this problem is not often
experienced, the use of a release agent can be helpful.
Condensation silicone rubbers are also more sensitive to
epoxy resins. Epoxy resin should not be poured into a tin-
catalysed rubber mould before the volatile components have
evaporated, a process that usually takes 72 hours or 24 hours
in an incubator (Koob 2006). If this precaution is not taken,
the epoxy resin may react and bond to the surface; this
results in damage to the mould or a reaction between the
epoxy resin and the mould. This can also occur if a fast cata-
lyst is used, probably because the faster setting time does
Corresponding author
not allow the volatile components to evaporate sufficiently.
The addition reaction silicone rubbers are less reactive to
epoxy resins; thus, they are more suitable for epoxy casting.
However, the platinum-based catalyst can be very reactive,
for instance to sulphur, which can inhibit curing (Morgos,
Nagy, and Palossy 1984). Sulphur is found in some plaster
and ceramic substrates or in certain modelling pastes that
are used during the moulding process (the manufacturers
usually mention their compatibility with an addition sili-
cone rubber). In general, every container, spatula, or surface
in contact with an un-cured addition silicone rubber, should
be very clean to avoid inhibition of curing.
RTV silicone rubbers are available in three main consisten-
cies: viscous liquid, soft paste (which has the consistency of a
toothpaste), or putty paste. The choice of consistency and/or
hardness is dependent on the location of the surface and the
shape and the profile to be reproduced. In order to choose
the right silicone, the conservator should consider several
questions:
How precise are the details to be reproduced? The viscous
liquid and most of the soft paste silicones, such as Exaflex
Regular®, give more precision than putty paste silicones
because they can flow into small undercuts and reproduce
fine details and textures (figure 1).
Where is the shape to be moulded? If the area is located on
the object itself, it can be useful to employ a soft paste or a
putty paste silicone, such as Elite HD Putty Soft®, because
they will not flow down a sloping surface and their fast set-
ting time will allow the conservator to complete treatment
on the object in a shorter time. Moreover, a silicone with a
thick consistency and a short setting time will have less
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Silicone as a Moulding Material for Loss Compensation: How to Choose the Right One?
Hélène Blanpain, Dominique Driesmans, Sarah Benrubi
opportunity to react with the surface, either leaving a resi-
due or adhering to it (Maish 1994). However, if the shape to
be moulded is a detachable fill or fragment, viscous liquid
silicones, for instance MM903® (very flexible) or MM922®
(more rigid), can be used to create one-part moulds; the sili-
cone is poured into a container in which the object is fixed
(figure 2).
Does the surface have deep undercuts? If the shape is com-
plex, a very flexible silicone with low hardness should be
used (for example MM903®). Conservators need to keep in
mind that it is the silicone mould that has to be removed
from the object, and not the object that has to be removed
from the silicone mould (figure 3).
Which fill materials will be poured into the mould? If
epoxy resins are to be used, it is preferable to make a one-
part mould (figure 2). Epoxy resins with very low viscosity
may otherwise flow between the join of a two-part mould. If
the fills are of plaster, the cast will be more fragile, making
it preferable either to make a two-part mould, for instance
with a fast-setting viscous silicone such as Elite Double 22®,
or to use a very flexible silicone (figure 4).
Fig. 1. One-part mould made with the fast-setting silicone Exaflex
Regular® (Photo: S. Benrubi).
Fig. 2. One-part mould made with the viscous liquid silicone MM903® to
cast a detachable fill and the final fill in epoxy resin (Photo: H.
Blanpain).
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The choice of a suitable silicone rubber can also be influ-
enced by other criteria, such as the size of the area to be
moulded (Blanpain 2011). Another consideration is cost.
Some silicones are very expensive, and the cost of making a
mould can be prohibitive.
To conclude, taking care to consider the choice of a silicone
rubber can result in fewer risks for an object and gaining
time. In order to choose the most appropriate silicone and
moulding technique, the conservator should therefore first
carefully examine the particular features of the object, the
shape to be moulded, as well as its composition and condi-
tion. Having the choice of two or three different silicone
rubber moulding systems considerably enlarges the possibil-
ities of casting and enables the conservator to adapt to each
specific situation.
Fig. 3. Open mould with MM903®, a very flexible silicone (Photo: S.
Benrubi).
Fig. 4. Two-part mould made with the fast-setting viscous liquid silicone
Elite Double 22®, to cast a plaster fill with a fragile and complex shape
(Photo: S. Benrubi).
References Elite Double 22, Elite HD Putty Soft (Zermack),
Blanpain 2011 Exaflex Regular (GC America Inc.)
Hélène Blanpain, Le moulage pour la reconstitution des lacunes: état des Dentalbiolux
lieux des matériaux et des techniques, Master dissertation, ENSAV La
Cambre, 2010–2011. Chaussée de Haecht 547
1030 Brussels, Belgium
Koob 2006 Tel. +32-27 351277
Stephen P. Koob, Conservation and Care of Glass Objects, London: www.dentalbiolux.com (accessed on 12 May 2013)
Archetype Publications, 2006, p. 85.

Maish 1994
Jeffrey P. Maish, “Silicone Rubber Staining of Terracotta Surfaces,”
Studies in Conservation, no. 39, 1994, pp. 250–256.
Authors
Morgos, Nagy, and Palossy 1984 Hélène Blanpain
András Morgos, József Nagy, and Lászlóne Palossy, “New Silicone 19/4 Rue du Cardinal, 1210 Brussels, Belgium
Rubber Mould-Making Materials: The Addition Type Silicone blanpainhelene@hotmail.com
Rubbers,” in ICOM 7th Triennial Meeting, Copenhagen, 10–14
September 1984, Preprints, v. 2, ICOM: Paris, 1984, pp. 84.20.18–
84.20.20. Dominique Driesmans
Department of Glass and Ceramics Conservation
École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels La Cambre, 21
Avenue de La Cambre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Materials and suppliers
MM903, MM922 (ACC silicones) Sarah Benrubi
Mida composite Department of Glass and Ceramics Conservation
Avenue de Stalingrad 106 École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels La Cambre, 21
1000 Brussels, Belgium Avenue de La Cambre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. +32-25 124566
www.finres-sa.com (accessed on 12 May 2013)

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