DIMETHICONE- ▸ Carrier & spreading agent: low-viscosity grades in personal care and electronics
- ▸ Slip, release & polish: mid grades in coatings, textiles and care products
- ▸ Damping & dielectric fluid: high grades in industrial and electronic applications
- ▸ Antifoam base: foam control across processing
A grade-specific Safety Data Sheet (SDS) — with the complete hazard classification, handling precautions, and transport information — is supplied with every shipment and available on request. Confirm all safety and regulatory details against the SDS for your specific grade.
Request SDS →Dimethicone (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS; CAS 9006-65-9) is the workhorse linear silicone fluid: an inert silicon-oxygen backbone with methyl side groups that gives it a rare combination of chemical inertness, thermal and oxidative stability, low surface tension and surface activity. The same chemistry is sold from thin volatile carriers to thick gum-like fluids, so the polymer is selected by viscosity rather than by name. Low-cSt grades act as carriers and spreading agents; mid grades deliver slip, gloss and softening; high-viscosity grades provide damping, dielectric and antifoam performance. RawSource supplies the grade matched to your application, sourced to spec.
Dimethicone applications by sector
Because PDMS is stable, low-energy at the surface and inert across most matrices, the same backbone shows up in cosmetics, defoamers, release coatings and textile finishes. What changes between those jobs is the viscosity grade — the notes below pair each sector with the band that typically does the work.
Personal care & cosmetics
In skin care, dimethicone is an emollient and occlusive that forms a light, non-greasy film, improving spreadability and giving the silky after-feel formulators rely on in moisturizers, primers, foundations, serums and sun-care bases. In hair care it coats the cuticle to smooth it, raising shine and combability and reducing frizz. Volatile and low-cSt grades carry actives and flash off without residue; mid grades (around 100-350 cSt) build conditioning and slip. INCI name: Dimethicone.
Industrial fluids
Dimethicone is the base for silicone antifoams and defoamers in aqueous systems, petroleum processing and detergents, where it persists as a separate phase to break foam. It also serves as a release and lubrication fluid for molds, films, yarn and fillers. Higher-viscosity grades function as vibration-damping fluids and, in suitable grades, as dielectric insulating and heat-transfer media, holding viscosity across a wide temperature range better than mineral oils. Confirm the grade’s specification against your service temperature and electrical requirements.
Coatings
As a slip, leveling and defoaming additive, dimethicone reduces surface tension to flatten film defects, improve mar resistance and knock down entrained air. Dose is low and grade-dependent; over-addition can interfere with recoat or intercoat adhesion, so trial at the low end first.
Textiles
Mid-to-high viscosity grades act as softeners and finishing fluids, delivering hand, slip and smooth drape on fabric and yarn. Higher viscosity gives a more durable, lubricating finish but is harder to emulsify and spread.
Across every sector the trade-off is the same: higher viscosity buys persistence, film and damping while sacrificing spread and ease of handling. There is no best grade, only the grade matched to the job.
Grade selection — Viscosity (cSt)
Viscosity is the selection axis, not a quality rank — there is no best grade, only the grade matched to the job. Low-cSt volatiles are carriers; the mid ladder is a surface/slip additive; the high ladder is for damping, dielectric and antifoam bases. Higher viscosity buys persistence and film at the cost of spreadability.
| Viscosity (cSt) | Viscosity | Typical applications | Supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 cSt (low-viscosity fluid) | 3 cSt | light carrier and spreading fluid; personal care and electronics | sourced-to-spec |
| 5 cSt (low-viscosity fluid) | 5 cSt | light lubrication and release; antifoam/defoamer base; carrier | in-stock |
| 10 cSt (low-viscosity fluid) | 10 cSt | lubrication, release, antifoam base, dielectric fluid | in-stock |
| 50 cSt (standard PDMS) | 50 cSt | mold release, polish, lubrication, paint slip additive | in-stock |
| 100 cSt (standard PDMS) | 100 cSt | release, lubrication, polish, personal-care conditioning | in-stock |
| 200 cSt (standard PDMS) | 200 cSt | polish, slip and leveling additive, lubrication | in-stock |
| 350 cSt (mid PDMS) | 350 cSt | polish/wax, paint slip & leveling, textile softener, lubrication | in-stock |
| 500 cSt (mid PDMS) | 500 cSt | lubrication, damping, polish, textile finishing | in-stock |
| 1,000 cSt (high band) | 1000 cSt | damping fluid, dielectric, antifoam base, lubrication | in-stock |
| 10,000 cSt (high band) | 10000 cSt | vibration damping, high-viscosity lubrication, additive base | in-stock |
| 12,500 cSt (high band) | 12500 cSt | damping, high-viscosity additive and process fluid | in-stock |
| 60,000 cSt (very-high band) | 60000 cSt | heavy damping, gum-like additive base, specialty lubrication | in-stock |
Forms & supply
Dimethicone is supplied as a neat linear fluid across the viscosity ladder above, and as a dimethicone emulsion for water-based systems such as textile finishes, fabric softeners and some personal-care and antifoam lines. Emulsions trade the simplicity of a single-phase fluid for water dilutability and easier dosing into aqueous processes. When ordering, specify viscosity grade (cSt), whether you need neat fluid or emulsion, and your packaging.
Handling: dimethicone fluids are stable, low-volatility liquids, but storage, handling and disposal are governed by the current SDS for the grade you purchase — always consult it before use. Nothing here is a medical, health or efficacy claim.
RawSource supplies dimethicone across viscosity grades in bulk — drums, totes and IBCs — to personal-care, antifoam, coatings and textile manufacturers, with CoA and SDS per lot. Pricing is quote-based on grade, volume and packaging. Request a quote with your target viscosity and volume and we will source to spec.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dimethicone used for?
Dimethicone (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS; CAS 9006-65-9) is a linear silicone fluid. It is used industrially as an antifoam in aqueous systems, petroleum processing, and detergents; as a lubricant and release fluid for films, yarn, and fillers; as a slip, leveling and defoaming additive in coatings; as a softener in textile finishing; and as an emollient and conditioning ingredient in personal-care formulations.
How do I choose a dimethicone viscosity grade?
Match the grade to the job, not to a quality rank. Low-cSt volatile grades are carriers and spreading agents; mid grades (roughly 50-500 cSt) give slip, gloss, conditioning and release; high grades (1,000 cSt and up) provide damping, dielectric and antifoam-base performance. Higher viscosity buys persistence and film at the cost of spreadability — so specify the target cSt when you request a quote.
What is dimethicone made from?
Dimethicone is a silicone polymer built from repeating dimethylsiloxane units (a silicon-oxygen backbone with methyl side groups). It is supplied as a linear PDMS fluid available across a range of viscosity grades, and as a dimethicone emulsion for water-based systems.
What is the CAS number of dimethicone?
Dimethicone (PDMS) is identified by CAS 9006-65-9 and sits in the silicone fluids and oils family. Specify the target viscosity grade when ordering, since dimethicone is supplied across many viscosities.
Is dimethicone water soluble?
No. Dimethicone is a silicone fluid and is not water soluble; it is used in oil phases and as an antifoam/lubricant in aqueous systems where it remains a separate phase. For water-based lines, a dimethicone emulsion provides dilutability. Refer to the SDS for handling and physical-property data.
How is bulk dimethicone packaged and priced?
RawSource supplies dimethicone fluids in drums, totes, and IBCs to antifoam, lubricant, coatings, textile and personal-care manufacturers, with CoA and SDS per lot. Pricing is quote-based on viscosity grade, volume, and packaging; request a current bulk quote.