Silicones offer excellent resistance to steam and hot water. The behaviour of different silicones in steam is however not uniform. Highly flexible grades tend to be more stable than those with high strength. Steam sterilisation can be carried out on virtually all silicone grades and typically can withstand continuous superheated steam at 120°C for at least six months.
Performance at higher temperatures is reduced significantly as the silicone tends to harden and become brittle more quickly.