How to Select Silicone Gum Blends: Gum Type, Carrier and Viscosity

Silicone gum blends are high-molecular-weight silicone gums pre-dissolved in a carrier fluid. Two variables decide how a gum blend behaves in your formula: whether the gum carries hydroxyl groups, and what the gum is dissolved in. Viscosity is the output of those two choices, not an input to them. Two blends at the same viscosity — one a dimethiconol gum in volatile D5, the other a dimethicone gum in non-volatile dimethicone — deposit different films, bind to the substrate by different mechanisms, and fail in different ways.

This guide maps Manta’s silicone gum blends against those two axes, then applies the two constraints that eliminate most candidates before sensory testing starts: the process temperature window, and the cyclic siloxane status of the carrier.

Why viscosity is the wrong first filter for gum blends

The viscosity on a gum blend TDS is a composite number. It reflects the molecular weight of the gum, how much gum is loaded, and the viscosity of the carrier holding it. Different combinations can land on the same figure.

That matters because, with a volatile carrier, only the gum survives application. When the carrier flashes off, what stays on the hair or skin is the gum — and the gum’s identity, not the blend’s original viscosity, determines the film. Viscosity tells you how the product handles on the production floor: whether it pumps, how it doses, how it disperses into an oil phase. It is a processing parameter that happens to be printed next to performance claims.

Select on gum and carrier first. Read viscosity afterwards, to confirm the grade fits your equipment.

Axis one: does the gum carry hydroxyl groups?

Dimethiconol carries terminal hydroxyl groups on the polymer backbone. Those groups are polar, and they adsorb onto the protein structure of hair keratin through polar interaction rather than sitting on the surface as an inert layer. The practical consequence is substantivity on damaged hair specifically: cuticle damage exposes polar sites, and dimethiconol has something to hold onto there. This is the mechanism behind split-end sealing claims.

Dimethicone gum has no reactive site. It forms a film by physical deposition and stays there because it is hydrophobic and high in molecular weight, not because it has bound to anything. On intact hair and on skin — where there is no exposed keratin damage to anchor to — this distinction narrows considerably, and the dimethicone gum grades are expected to give a cleaner, less loaded feel.

Across Manta’s silicone gum blends, F1016C, F1017, F1017A and F1047 are dimethiconol grades. F1016A and F10161 are dimethicone gum grades.

If you are formulating a damage-repair or split-end product, start on the dimethiconol side. If you are formulating for slip, gloss and a light finish on healthy hair or on skin, the dimethicone gum grades are the more direct answer. F1016A (split-end repair serums) and F10161 (hair serums that smooth split ends) also list split-end use in their TDS, so include them in split-end trials.

Axis two: what carries the gum, and what stays behind

The carrier decides the first thirty seconds of the application, and it decides what the residual film is made of.

Fully volatile D5 carrier — Manta F1016C (Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethiconol) and Manta F10161 (Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethicone). The carrier spreads the gum evenly, then evaporates. What remains is gum alone. You get high initial slip, a dry break, and a film with no carrier contribution.

Hybrid: volatile cyclic plus low-viscosity dimethicone — Manta F1016A (Dimethicone (and) Cyclomethicone). Part of the carrier flashes off; the low-viscosity dimethicone stays. The result sits between the two extremes: the spreadability of a volatile system with residual lubricity after flash-off. Useful when a fully volatile grade breaks too dry for your sensory target.

Non-volatile dimethicone carrier — Manta F1017 (Dimethiconol (and) Dimethicone) and Manta F1017A (Dimethicone (and) Dimethiconol). Nothing evaporates. Everything you add stays on the substrate, which means the deposited film is gum plus carrier, and the sensory profile is heavier and longer-lasting. These are also the only grades in the line with no volatile loss during processing.

Cyclic D4 plus D5 carrier — Manta F1047 (Cyclotetrasiloxane (and) Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethiconol). Behaves like the fully volatile grades, with the regulatory caveat covered below.

Manta silicone gum blends compared

Grade	INCI	Gum	Carrier	Viscosity (25 °C)	Refractive index (25 °C)	Specific gravity (25 °C)
F1016A	Dimethicone (and) Cyclomethicone	Dimethicone gum	Hybrid: volatile cyclomethicone + low-viscosity dimethicone	5,000–6,000 · 6,000–7,000 · 10,000–12,000 cSt (three grades)	1.396–1.435	0.920–0.950
F1016C	Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethiconol	Dimethiconol	Volatile D5	5,000–7,000 · 6,000–8,000 · 15,000–17,000 cSt (three grades)	1.396–1.405	0.950–0.970
F1017	Dimethiconol (and) Dimethicone	Dimethiconol	Non-volatile dimethicone	1,200–2,500 cSt	1.3950–1.4050	0.920–0.965
F1017A	Dimethicone (and) Dimethiconol	Dimethiconol	Non-volatile dimethicone	3,000–5,000 cSt	1.395–1.405	0.900–0.940
F1047	Cyclotetrasiloxane (and) Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethiconol	Dimethiconol	Volatile cyclic (D4 + D5)	6000 mPa·s	1.397	0.96
F10161	Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethicone	Dimethicone gum	Volatile D5	3,500–5,500 cSt	1.3950–1.4050	0.945–0.965

Values are typical properties from the product TDS and are not specification limits. F1016A and F1016C are supplied in three viscosity steps; specify the step when you request a sample or place an order.

Read the table across, not down. F1017 at 1,200–2,500 cSt has the lowest viscosity in the line, but because its carrier is non-volatile it is expected to leave more material on the substrate than F1016C at 5,000–7,000 cSt, whose D5 carrier evaporates. Low viscosity does not mean light deposition.

The process window eliminates more gum blends than performance does

This is where formulations fail before they are evaluated, so check it before you request samples.

Every grade with a volatile carrier — F1016A, F1016C, F1047 and F10161 — should be processed at room temperature or below 50 °C. If your oil phase requires melting, cool the batch to 50 °C before adding the gum blend under continuous stirring. Add it hot and you lose carrier, which shifts both the viscosity and the ratio of gum to carrier in the finished product.

F1017 is suitable for hot-process formulations, with the operating temperature kept below 50 °C and total heating time not exceeding 30 minutes.

F1017A has the widest window in the line: it can be incorporated into the oil phase with the operating temperature kept below 85 °C and heating time during emulsification not exceeding 30 minutes.

If your process cannot accommodate an addition below 50 °C — a hot-fill line, or an emulsification step you cannot interrupt for cool-down — F1017A is the only grade here that fits without a process change, provided the step stays within its 85 °C and 30-minute limits. That constraint can decide the grade before sensory preference is even considered.

Recommended use levels differ by grade:

Grade	Standard hair and skin care	Concentrated hair serums and hair oils
F1016A	3.0–8.0%	40.0–50.0%
F1016C	3.0–8.0%	20.0–50.0%
F10161	3.0–8.0%	40.0–50.0%
F1017	5.0–8.0% in skin care creams; 3.0–6.0% in hair care	40.0–50.0%
F1017A	3.0–10.0% in skin care creams; 3.0–6.0% in standard hair care	40.0–50.0%
F1047	2.0–10.0% in standard cosmetic formulations	Not stated in the TDS

At 40–50%, the gum blend becomes the base of the formula rather than an additive.

How EU 2024/1328 changes the carrier decision

D4, D5 and D6 are on the REACH SVHC candidate list as vPvB substances. Regulation (EU) 2024/1328 limits D4, D5 and D6 to below 0.1% each in leave-on cosmetic products placed on the EU market from 6 June 2027. D4 and D5 have been restricted in rinse-off cosmetic products since 31 January 2020 under Regulation (EU) 2018/35.

Four grades in this line carry cyclic siloxanes in the carrier: F1047 (Cyclotetrasiloxane and Cyclopentasiloxane), F1016C and F10161 (Cyclopentasiloxane) and F1016A (Cyclomethicone). In F1047, F1016C and F10161 the cyclic siloxane is the carrier itself, not a trace component, so at the use levels above the finished product is expected to exceed 0.1% D4 or D5. That takes these grades out of EU leave-on formulas placed on the market from 6 June 2027. Manta positions the cyclic-carrier grades for leave-on products only.

The INCI name Cyclomethicone, used on F1016A, is a generic term and does not identify which cyclic siloxane is present. If you are assessing EU exposure, work from the per-batch D4 / D5 / D6 content statement for the batch you are evaluating, not from the INCI name.

The shortlist within the same gum chemistry is F1017A — dimethiconol in a linear dimethicone carrier, at 3,000–5,000 cSt — or F1017 at 1,200–2,500 cSt where a lower-viscosity blend suits the formula. Neither has a cyclosiloxane in its INCI, and the per-batch D4 / D5 / D6 content statement gives you the figure for your finished-product calculation. Both are expected to keep the hydroxyl-driven substantivity that made the cyclic grade work, and both remove the volatile flash-off you were relying on for initial slip. That trade is real: a non-volatile carrier will not give you the dry break of a D5 system, so expect to re-tune the sensory target rather than match it.

Manta supplies both cyclic-carrier and linear-carrier grades. Which one is appropriate for a given market is a decision for the brand owner placing the product.

Where silicone gum blends do not solve the problem

A gum blend is a deposition system, and there are formulation contexts where deposition is controlled by something else entirely.

In a rinse-off conditioner, the gum blend is not what puts silicone on the hair. Of the grades above, only the linear-carrier F1017 and F1017A are candidates for that format. Silicone deposition from a rinse-off conditioner is governed by the cationic conditioning system — the cationic surfactant and fatty-alcohol structure that carries the silicone to the fiber — and by how the silicone is dispersed in it. If that system is not delivering, changing the gum blend will not rescue the formula: you will measure the same low deposition with a more expensive silicone.

Wet combing is primarily a cationic claim. Gum blends contribute to dry combing, gloss and frizz control. Detangling on wet hair is driven mainly by cationic conditioning agents. These grades supplement that system; they do not replace it.

Open or extended processing changes the product. Any volatile-carrier grade will lose carrier in an open vessel or over a long hot hold, and the finished viscosity will drift from the value you qualified at bench scale.

Strongly acidic or alkaline systems. The TDS for every grade says to keep the product away from moisture, acids and alkalis. For the dimethiconol grades specifically, the terminal hydroxyl groups are condensation-capable, so viscosity drift in a strongly acidic or alkaline formula is a mechanism-based risk. Confirm it with stability testing on your actual formula rather than assuming it from the TDS, and give it a dedicated stability arm if your system sits at either pH extreme.

A short path to the right silicone gum blend

1. Damaged hair or intact hair? Damage repair → start with dimethiconol (F1016C, F1017, F1017A, F1047), which is expected to give stronger substantivity on damaged fibers; F1016A and F10161 also list split-end use in their TDS. Slip, gloss and a light finish → dimethicone gum (F1016A, F10161).
2. Can your process add the gum blend below 50 °C, on cool-down? No → F1017A (below 85 °C, heating time within 30 minutes). Yes → continue.
3. EU market? If yes, exclude F1047, F1016C, F10161 and F1016A, and shortlist F1017A or F1017. The leave-on limit applies from 6 June 2027.
4. What break do you want? Dry, fast break → volatile D5 (F1016C, F10161). Residual cushion → hybrid (F1016A). Heavy, persistent → non-volatile (F1017, F1017A).
5. Then read viscosity to confirm the grade pumps and doses on your line, and pick the viscosity step.

FAQ

Does a higher-viscosity silicone gum blend condition better?

No. Higher viscosity generally means a higher gum loading or a higher-molecular-weight gum, which affects how much material deposits and how the product handles. It does not by itself predict conditioning, because the carrier determines how much of the blend remains after application.

Can I dilute a gum blend to adjust viscosity?

Yes, for most grades. The TDS for F1016A, F1016C and F10161 allows dilution with volatile silicones, and F1017 and F1017A can be diluted with cyclomethicone in any proportion. The F1047 TDS gives no dilution guidance, so test it first. Two cautions. Diluting a non-volatile grade with a volatile silicone changes its carrier character, not only its viscosity. And a cyclomethicone dilution adds cyclic siloxane to a linear-carrier grade, which matters for EU formulas; whether a linear volatile works as the diluent for a given grade is a compatibility question to confirm at the bench.

What is the difference between F1017 and F1017A?

Both are dimethiconol in a non-volatile dimethicone carrier. F1017 runs 1,200–2,500 cSt and is processed below 50 °C; F1017A runs 3,000–5,000 cSt and tolerates operating temperatures up to 85 °C. Both limit heating time to 30 minutes. Choose F1017A for higher viscosity or a hotter process, and F1017 where a lower-viscosity blend suits the formula.

Which gum blend should I evaluate to move a D5-carried formula to the EU leave-on market?

F1017A is the closest match in gum chemistry, with a linear dimethicone carrier. It will not reproduce the volatile flash-off of a D5 system, so comparative testing against your current benchmark is required before switching.

What documentation is available?

TDS, GHS SDS and batch Certificate of Analysis (CoA). INCI designation, SVHC declaration and a per-batch D4 / D5 / D6 content statement are available on request.

Send your formulation conditions — process temperature, target market, and the benchmark you are matching — and we will recommend a grade and viscosity step, with samples and the documents you need. Samples are chargeable, and the sample price includes courier delivery. The sample charge is credited against your first commercial order, with no minimum order quantity; the details are agreed case by case with your sales representative.

Compare every grade in the Silicone Gum Blends range, or see how gum blends work alongside amino silicones and volatile carriers in silicones for hair care.