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Conformal coatings are liquid curable coatings that protect electronic printed circuit boards from moisture and contaminants, which can cause short circuits and corrosion of conductors and solder joints. Moisture also accelerates dendritic growth and the electro migration of metal between conductors, damaging the circuitry of uncoated PCBs. These materials are commonly used to protect printed circuit boards used in automotive electronics from environmental factors, mainly against the action of debris and moisture. There are some curing systems available, but the moisture curable silicone conformal coatings are often the choice for electronics used in harsh environments, like under-the-hood automotive electronics. However, in general these materials require long cure times, due to their need of exposition to moisture from the air to cure, a process that can take several hours. Because of this, they have not always been selected for high volume electronics production.

Tempered glass, once the optimum material for aircraft vision systems, is now being replaced by high-strength, lightweight plastics. Specially designed acrylic, glass, and polycarbonate laminates offer weight savings that give them a distinct advantage in weight-critical aerospace applications. Like tempered glass, laminates must withstand the impact of low-altitude debris and bird-strike as well as the shock of rapid temperature, humidity, and pressure changes. The laminating adhesive must be strong enough to withstand impact and must provide stress relief for the different substrates, which often have very different thermal coefficients of expansion. Liquid and sheet silicone interlayer adhesives have been developed that provide the clarity, adhesion, and performance characteristics required by aircraft windshield and canopy designs. These adhesives have hydrolytic bond stability and high-temperature adhesion that are substantially greater than those of nonsilicone adhesives.