Material: Silicone

Materials are often a source of new product ideas. Silicone is slowly finding its way into the modern kitchen.

Silicones are water repellent, heat stable, and very resistant to chemical attack. They find many uses in oils, greases, and rubberlike materials. Silicone oils are very desirable since they do not decompose at high temperature and do not become viscous. Other silicones are used in hydraulic fluids, electrical insulators and moisture proofing agent in fabrics.

Silicones have a number of medical applications because they are chemically inert. A good deal of controversy has involved the the use of silicone in polyurethane bags as breast implants.

NY Times Article