Wide Temperature Range: Silicone can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from freezing to high heat, without losing its shape or properties. This makes it suitable for use in both cold storage and high-temperature cooking applications.
In summary, both silicone and butyl sealants can work well for walk-in freezers.
Freezer-Safe Materials
Here's a breakdown of some common materials and their compatibility with freezing temperatures: Silicone: Silicone bags are known for their versatility and durability. They are generally safe to use in the freezer (but always check the manufacturer guidelines).
Because it's better for you and the environment. Silicone is highly durable yet lightweight, and holds up from freezer to microwave, oven, and dishwasher without leaching chemicals.
Silicone muffin cups are a prime example. Sure, we know they can be used for baking muffins and cupcakes. But what else could they be used for? They're oven, microwave, and freezer safe. And you can wash them in the dishwasher. That means there are a lot of possibilities.
Wide Temperature Range: Silicone can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from freezing to high heat, without losing its shape or properties. This makes it suitable for use in both cold storage and high-temperature cooking applications.
It shouldn't be put in the dishwasher, however, and as it doesn't biodegrade and cannot currently be recycled, it's not exactly eco-friendly. Silicone cookware also needs to be dried well before being stored, or it may degrade and develop discoloration and tackiness.
Cold weather will not permanently harm urethane, silicone or epoxy materials. It can cause these materials to thicken and separate. If you try to use the material while it is too cold, it will not cure.
Room can be left in containers to account for this expansion but it is not always able to prevent damage to a container. Polypropylene and PVC are both plastics that are brittle at temperatures below freezing. Polystyrene is considered brittle at 68°F and is very brittle at temperatures below freezing.
Many countries around the world have therefore strictly regulated or banned the use of BPA in food contact products. However, BPA is never used in silicone products of any sort and is therefore not a health hazard, either for people manufacturing silicone products or end-users.
Food grade materials, such as aluminum foil, heavy freezer-weight plastic bags, heavy plastic wrap and parchment or freezer paper are excellent choices. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its supermarket wrapping, but this type of wrap is thin and lets air in.
Is Silicone Safe? Many experts and authorities consider silicone completely safe for food use.
Beeswax wraps are non-plastic freezer bags that are waterproof, reusable and an eco-friendly alternative to clingfilm and tupperware. They even break down in your home compost bin! Silicone may be a loose relative of plastic, but it's a lot more reusable (and therefore sustainable).
Silicone rubber also has excellent resistance to cold temperatures. The embrittlement point of typical organic rubbers is between -20° and -30°C, compared to -60° to -70°C for silicone rubbers. Even at temperatures at which organic rubbers turn brittle, silicone rubber remains elastic.
100% silicone rubber sealant that is a one-component chemically-curing material ideal for sealing in commercial kitchens and is approved for food-zone areas. Certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standard #51, it is safe for incidental food contact. When cured and washed, the product meets FDA Reg 21, CFR 177.2600.
Products made of platinum-based silicone can resist a wide range of temperatures, between -60 ºC and 220 ºC, without becoming distorted. This versatility makes them suitable for the microwave, oven, dishwasher, fridge and freezer.
The flexible silicone material makes it easy to pop out the portions when you're ready to use them. Additionally, you can use it for more than just baby food. As your baby grows, you can use it as a snack tray for older children, or even to freeze individual portions of soup or other foods for yourself.
Zip-top bags are great for freezing food because it's easier to get all the air out of them than it is with rigid containers. And zip-top bags have an added space-saving benefit: You can stack them, if you lay them flat to freeze first.
Standard exterior or interior silicone-based caulks are generally rated for temperatures between 20 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. While a freezer will never reach the high end of these extremes, it will regularly exceed the lower level.
Silicone does not have a melting point but instead remains solid until combustion occurs. At extreme temperatures (above 200 C) silicone slowly begins to lose its mechanical properties, becoming harder and more brittle. This process is further accelerated when met with even higher temperatures of over 300 C.
If temperatures change from above to below freezing, the silicone will expand and compress which can cause the seal to crack, break, or crease, ultimately reducing the effectiveness of the seal.
Silicone is a safer alternative to non-stick cookware treated with PFAS and plastic. But limit its use. It doesn't biodegrade and can't be recycled, so it's not an entirely eco-friendly solution.
Migration of chemicals into air: When silicone products are exposed to high temperatures (think baking), the chemicals in the product can be released into the air (2). The released particles tend to persist in the air and pose a health hazard to the lungs (2).
While silicone tends to bake very evenly, you need to use a sheet tray to stabilize it, which may cause it to heat unevenly. Plus, anyone who's ever filled a mold and tried to move it to the oven on a tray knows how messy things can get.