Rubbers

[EDGE]

Yeah, I know all that. I'm talking about what it's made of. Similarly Oakley's "Plutonite" is polycarbonate. And O-Matter is a blend of mostly Nylon.

So I'm wondering if saying something like "Yeah, Linegear rubber is silicone, not Unobtanium" is like saying "That bullet proof vest is inferior since it's made of something called aramid fibers, not Kevlar" (Kevlar is a DuPont brand name for a specific type of aramid).

Well Linegear and the others don't have the hydrophilic properties of the Oakley's. Check out this thread for more info.

 

[Rustpot]

Well Linegear and the others don't have the hydrophilic properties of the Oakley's. Check out this thread for more info.

The only thing useful in there is a link to the patent, which does not describe the composition except to say it sticks better when wet. Which silicone does do (they use it in food applications for grips all the time).

It mentions Shell Oil's Kroton G as an example of one such elastomer, which appears to really be referencing Kraton synthetic elastomers. The G variant is a hydrogenated styrene.

The product webpage gives us this:

Kraton G polymers are the material of choice for production of soft, strong compounds for handles and grips, elastic components in diapers, oil gels for telecommunications and medical applications, impact modifiers of engineering thermoplastics, flexibilizers/tougheners for clear polypropylene.

So it sounds like it could be a good contender for Unobtanium. None of the blends on their site list eyewear as applications, though several say footwear.

So I'm still left wondering...

 

[RonkPM]

I'm wondering as well. I'm trying to find a similar type rubber. I have this idea of casting small parts that we can't get anymore. Like the unobtainium backing pads on the Time Bomb watch bracelet. My watch is missing them, so I do not know how complicated the shape is or how difficult it would be to reproduce them. Just an idea for now.