Dow Corning built a new business based on silicon chemistry. Silicon is one of the most abundant elements in the world. Most of the company’s products are based on polymers known as silicones that have a silicon-oxygen-silicon backbone. Through various chemical processes, the company manufactures silicones that have an extremely wide variety of characteristics, in forms ranging from fluids, gels, greases, and elastomeric materials to resins and other rigid materials. Silicones combine the temperature and chemical resistance of glass and the versatility of plastics and, regardless of from or application, generally possess such qualities as electrical resistance, resistance to extreme temperatures, resistance to deterioration from aging, water repellency, lubrication characteristics, relative chemical and physiological inertness, and resistance to ultraviolet radiation. The company currently manufactures over 8,700 products and serves approximately 50,000 customers worldwide, with no single customer accounting for more than 3% of the company’s sales in 1994.