All about Silicone Rings

It may come as a surprise, but silicon and silicone are two very different things.

In short, silicon is a naturally occurring chemical element, whereas silicone is a synthetic substance.

Silicon is the 14th element on the periodic table. It's a metalloid, meaning it has properties of both metals and nonmetals, and is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, after oxygen.

Elemental silicon is a major player in modern electronics because it's an ideal semiconductor of electricity. When heated into a molten state, silicon can be formed into semi-conductive wafers, to serve as the base for integrated circuits (microchips).

Silicone, by contrast, is a synthetic polymer made up of silicon, oxygen and other elements, most typically carbon and hydrogen. Silicone is generally a liquid or a flexible, rubberlike plastic, and has a number of useful properties, such as low toxicity and high heat resistance. It also provides good electrical insulation. 

Due to its high heat resistance, silicone makes up a lot of kitchenware, such as oven mitts, tongs and pan handles; silicone's non-stick properties also make it useful for cookware coatings. Additionally, the material's heat resistance and slipperiness make it an ideal lubricant for automotive parts (as a lubricating spray or grease).

Both rubber and silicone are elastomers. They are polymeric materials that exhibit the viscoelastic behaviour, which is generally called elasticity. Silicone can be distinguished from rubbers by the atomic structure. In addition, silicones have more special properties than normal rubbers. Rubbers are naturally occurring, or they can be synthesized. Based on this, silicone can be differentiated from rubber.

Silicone is a synthetic rubber. It is synthesized by modifying silicon.