Smart materials for energy transition, electric mobility, and industrial digitalisation

Wacker Chemie will take centre stage at K 2025 in Düsseldorf with a comprehensive portfolio of innovative solutions: electroactive materials, intelligent coatings, next-generation sensors, and high-performance silicone products designed to meet the needs of the energy transition, e-mobility, and industrial digitalisation.

Among the key technologies on show are a new online platform for intelligent coating applications and flexible silicone-based sensors, suitable for extreme environments and medical use, offering real-time detection, traceability, and long operational lifespans. Speciality silicones will also be highlighted for their role in supporting the energy transition, in line with the European Green Deal.

In the power grid sector, the spotlight is on Powersil 1900 A/B, a new high-consistency silicone rubber (HCR) that cures by addition and is designed for producing hollow-core insulators via spiral extrusion. This process enables more efficient, lightweight manufacturing compared to traditional methods, offering a viable alternative to glass or ceramic materials under harsh environmental conditions.

For e-mobility, Wacker is introducing Elastosil R 531/60, a ceramifying silicone for busbars. In the event of fire, it forms an electrically insulating ceramic layer that enhances the safety of high-voltage batteries. Thanks to its flexibility and impact resistance, the material can be easily shaped to fit the confined spaces of battery modules.

In the field of digitalisation and advanced sensing, Wacker will present Nexipal Sense, an electroactive silicone laminate capable of generating electrical signals in response to pressure or deformation. Already used in medical, sports, and robotics applications, this material is now being produced at industrial scale using a fully automated roll-to-roll process.

Sustainability also plays a key role, with the introduction of Elastosil eco LR 5003, a liquid silicone rubber made from plant-based methanol, suitable for food-contact and medical applications without the need for post-curing. The material will be used in a live demonstration to produce mouthpieces for Air Up water bottles, in collaboration with Arburg and Rico Elastomere.

Electroactive silicone films with high-resolution printed electronics will also be showcased. These multilayer systems combine conductive and insulating layers to enable advanced performance in lighting, automation, and diagnostics. Internally printed intelligent sensors made from flexible silicone are already in use in railway, medical, and smart city infrastructure.