Silicones comparison with mineral silicates

Comparison with the mineral silicates is instructive since there is a 1 1 correspondence between the two sets of compounds, the methyl groups in the silicones being replaced by the formally iso-electronic 0 in the silicates (see p. 366). This reminds us of the essentially covalent nature of the Si O-Si linkage, but the analogy should not be taken to imply identity of structures in detail, particularly for the more highly condensed polymers. Some aspects of the technology of silicones arc summarized in the concluding Panel. 

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