Wacker ELASTOSIL® Vario 15 Normal – Translucent Platinum Silicone for Moulds & Prototyping

Premium Translucent Silicone for Professional Mould Making

Wacker Elastosil Vario 15 Normal is a two-component, platinum-cure (addition-cure) casting silicone that is translucent and colourless, with a Shore A hardness of 15. This high-quality silicone combines low viscosity (base material 5,000 mPa·s, mixed 3,000 mPa·s) with minimal shrinkage and excellent mechanical properties, and was specially developed for dimensionally accurate copies and reproduction moulds. The Normal version (Catalyst VARIO) offers a working time of 150 minutes at 23 °C, ideal for larger projects. Food safe in accordance with BfR and FDA guidelines.

Key Benefits

• Translucent and colourless: Embedded objects stay visible for precise positioning and accurate cutting of reproduction moulds
• Very low viscosity: 3,000 mPa·s after mixing for excellent flow around components and self-degassing properties
• Flexible working time: 150-minute pot life with Catalyst VARIO (Normal) or 2 minutes with Catalyst VARIO F (Fast)
• Shore A 15: Very flexible and soft for easy demoulding and fine details
• Excellent mechanical properties: 6.5 N/mm² tensile strength, 900% elongation, tear strength 15 N/mm (ASTM D 624 B)
• Shrink-free vulcanisation: No chemical shrinkage for dimensionally accurate reproduction
• Modular system: Can be blended with Elastosil Vario 40 for any hardness between 15 and 40 Shore A
• Food safe & BfR/FDA compliant: Suitable for contact with food and for culinary moulds

Typical Applications

• Prototype building and rapid prototyping for dimensionally accurate copies
• Reproduction moulds for casting resins, concrete, plaster and all common reproduction materials
• Food-safe moulds for chocolate, sugarcraft, fondant and culinary creations
• SFX and prosthetics: moulds for masks, facial appliances and special effects
• Podiatry and medical simulation for anatomical models and training phantoms
• Moulds for polyurethane, epoxy, polyester and acrylic resins (Jesmonite, A1)

Processing instructions:

1. Mix components A and B carefully in a 10:1 ratio (by weight), by hand or by machine
2. Stir slowly in a figure-of-eight motion to avoid trapping air
3. Use the mixture within the 150-minute pot life
4. Wait until fully cured before demoulding: 6 hours at 23 °C
5. For food-safe applications: post-cure at 140 °C for 2 hours for complete outgassing
6. Curing can be accelerated with heat – note: air bubbles then have less time to escape

Customisation options: use the mixing calculator below this description to work out how much Vario 15, Vario 40, Catalyst VARIO and VARIO F you need for your target hardness (Shore A 15–40) and working time (2–150 minutes).

Wacker Chemie is a global leader in silicone technology for professional mould making, prototyping and food-safe applications, with more than 100 years of expertise.

Important Warning: Inhibition of Addition-Cure Silicones

Please note: This is an addition-cure (platinum-cure) silicone. These silicones can be poisoned by sulphur, nitrogen, amine compounds and metal salts. If you are not sure whether the products you are using (including gloves, spatulas and cups) contain these substances, please carry out a small test first. They are found in, among other things, many latex gloves, some plasticines, paints and adhesives, condensation-cure silicones, one-component silicone sealants, natural rubbers and 3D printing materials (especially stereolithography). If you still want to use such materials, you will need to apply a protective layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

Professional Support

Our technical specialists can advise you on material selection, processing techniques, choice of catalyst, hardness adjustments and achieving optimum results for your specific reproduction mould application. Contact us for technical data sheets, processing guidelines or advice on preventing inhibition with addition-cure silicones.