Q&A with Clwyd Compounders’ Rubber Technologist, Nithin Sebastian Kuncheria

1. What sparked your interest in this particular field, and what continues to drive your passion for it?

My introduction to the rubber industry was somewhat coincidental—it began during a summer internship during my undergraduate studies. I quickly became fascinated by the world of elastomers, where I saw the potential to apply many of my research interests. This curiosity turned into a career when I secured my first job with a major tire manufacturer. What continues to drive my passion is the constant push for innovation, as cutting-edge technologies demand ever higher-performing materials. The challenge of pushing boundaries and developing new solutions keeps this field exciting and full of opportunities.

2. Can you provide a concise summary of the key takeaways attendees can expect to gain from your session?

Attendees will gain insights into the challenges posed by high-temperature specifications in the aerospace industry, the limitations of fluorosilicones in extreme environments, and opportunities for improvement. The session will explore strategies to enhance high-temperature performance, key results from compounding studies, and characterization methods for evaluating material performance.

3. What are the most significant challenges or opportunities you see currently facing the silicone industry? How does your presentation address these?

A key challenge in the aerospace industry is achieving high-temperature performance in fluorosilicones (FVMQ), particularly above 250°C, where material degradation occurs due to homolytic chain scission. Meeting the stringent requirements of MIL-R-25988 Type 2 Class 3, which demands continuous heat stability at 250°C, is particularly challenging. This presentation explores strategies to overcome these limitations and provides insights into the characterization techniques used to analyse material degradation.

4. Who is your ideal audience for this presentation? Which professionals would benefit the most from attending your session?

This presentation is ideal for professionals in the aerospace and defence industries, particularly technologists, engineers, and business development teams working with high-performance materials. It will also be valuable to moulding and engineering firms, as well as peers in the silicone and rubber industry, including material manufacturers. Additionally, the characterization studies will provide valuable insights for material researchers and academics.

5. Can you share a real-world example or case study that illustrates the practical application of the concepts you’ll be discussing in your presentation?

The practical application of the content would be for manufacturing seals, gaskets, extruded profiles, vibration dampers etc used in aircraft fuel systems, hydraulic systems, engine components where excellent fuel/ lubricant resistance and high temperature performance is needed in aeronautical and aerospace industry.

Beyond your presentation, what are you most looking forward to at Silicone Expo Europe?

At Silicone Expo, I look forward to networking, building potential customer relationships, and exploring collaboration opportunities. With our stand at Stand 532, I am eager to connect with industry peers, exchange ideas on new projects, and discuss emerging trends. I am also keen to explore supplier offerings in sustainable materials and attend insightful sessions at the Gasket and Seal Conference.

7. What are some key resources that you would recommend to someone looking to deepen their understanding of the topics covered in your presentation?

Further case studies about our FVMQ offerings and investigations can be found at www.clwydcompounders.com

8. What are the most important questions that professionals in this industry should be asking themselves today?

How can we be future ready for demanding applications requiring high performance materials?

9. If you could leave the audience with one lasting message from your presentation, what would it be?

Today’s applications demand materials to push boundaries, we can help achieve these materials by leveraging understandings from a spectrum of industries and apply them for your bespoke solution.