Silicone compositions and related methods

1. A polymerizable silicone composition comprising:

an MQ-water cluster comprised of a silicate MQ resin and a quantity of water dispersed in the silicate MQ resin ranging from about 1 percent to about 99 percent of the overall weight of the MQ-water cluster; and

a silicone fluid,

wherein the MQ-water cluster and silicone fluid collectively provide an inverted emulsion having a continuous and a discontinuous phase, the continuous phase comprising the silicone fluid and the discontinuous phase comprising the MQ-water cluster.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the silicone fluid comprises a polydimethylsiloxane oligomer.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the silicone fluid comprises an at least partially polymerized silicone polyoxamide.

4. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a catalyst for polymerizing the emulsion, the catalyst comprising 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the silicate MQ resin comprises a three-dimensional silicate network that includes M and Q-units having the chemical structures shown below:

wherein each of R′, R″, and R 3 ′″ is either a methyl or hydroxyl group, at least one of R′, R″, and R 3 ′″ being a hydroxyl group.

6. A foamed silicone article provided by polymerizing the composition of claim 1 .

7. A method of making a silicone foam comprising:

dispersing a quantity of water into a silicate MQ resin to provide an MQ-water cluster;

dispersing the stabilized MQ-water cluster into a silicone fluid to obtain an inverted silicone emulsion having the MQ-water cluster as a discontinuous phase and the silicone fluid as a continuous phase; and

foaming the silicone emulsion by evolving the water in the MQ-water cluster to provide a cellular structure.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising polymerizing the silicone emulsion.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymerizing of the silicone emulsion and foaming of the silicone emulsion are actuated separately.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the silicone emulsion is substantially polymerized prior to foaming the silicone emulsion.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the polymerization of the silicone emulsion occurs simultaneously with the foaming of the silicone emulsion.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the silicone fluid comprises a silicone resin that is at least partially polymerized.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the silicone fluid further comprises a co-solvent homogenously mixed with the silicone resin, wherein foaming the silicone emulsion further comprises evolving the co-solvent.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein essentially all of the voids in the silicone emulsion are provided by evolving the water in the MQ-water cluster.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the silicate MQ resin comprises a three-dimensional silicate network that includes M and Q-units having the chemical structures shown below:

wherein each of R′, R″, and R 3 ′″ is either a methyl or hydroxyl group, at least one of R′, R″, and R 3 ′″ being a hydroxyl group.