Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the protection provided to silicone by pigments, such as dry earth pigments. In addition, the effect of nanostructured and organically modified montmorillonite fillers on the overall behavior of reinforced systems was explored. To obtain relevant data and, furthermore, to reveal possible mechanisms of structural changes that could influence silicone stability, pure and reinforced silicon elastomers were mixed with various colorants and studied for their stability to accelerating aging, during the exposure to UV radiation and humidity. A number of tests were run such as, Attenuated Total Reflectance, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Tensile measurements. Swelling in toluene and color tests were also carried out. The experimental results showed that the UV aging of silicone elastomers results in chain scission and cross-linking rather than formation of oxygen containing groups. The main conclusion of this work is montmorillonite acts as a significant reinforcement and protects silicone against degradation during exposure to UV irradiation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
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