Studies of RTV silicone rubber nanocomposites based on graphitic nanofillers

Abstract

The properties of vulcanizates based on graphitic nanofiller (GR) with flakes of medium surface area (150–450 m2/g) were studied for industrial applications. Room-temperature-vulcanized (RTV) silicone rubber was used as the matrix for preparing specimens. AFM micrographs reveal molecular level dispersion of GR with distributed particles in the range of 7–12 nm. The compressive load at 5 phr increased by ∼85% in the presence of a magnetic field. As the surface area of GR increases, the compressive modulus at 10 phr decreases by ∼35% and the actuation displacement at 15 phr increases by ∼340%. The transitional behavior in the mechanical properties was almost linear up to 300 m2/g and then fell sharply. The features of the vulcanizates are influenced by the nanoscale effect of the fillers, rapid stress-transfer from the polymer to the filler particles and consistent inter-particle connectivity in the rubber matrix.