Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 49: Elastomers and Gels

CPP 49.2: Talk

Friday, March 26, 2010, 10:30–10:45, H48

Caloric and optical studies of the influence of fumed silica nanoparticles on the cross-linking of polydimethylsiloxane — •Ulrich Müller, Bartosz Zielinski, Martine Philipp, Roland Sanctuary, and Jan Kristian Krüger — Université du Luxembourg, Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux, Campus Limpertsberg, 162a avenue de la Faiencerie, L-1511 Luxembourg

Silicone rubbers based on polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) are synthetic elastomers with outstanding properties such as chemical resistance, wide range temperature resistance, biocompatibility etc. Furthermore since the late 80s there is an increasing interest in improving the silicone rubbers properties by the introduction of fumed silica particles. Hydrogen groups on the particle*s surface are known to exhibit strong interaction with the siloxane backbone of PDMS. But there are only a few studies concerning the influence of these interactions on property evolution during the cross-linking process. We showcase that fumed silica nanoparticles have a profound impact on the cross-linking of a room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber as evidenced by caloric and optical studies. Another point of view on the cross-linking process is given by the first-time implementation of temperature modulated refractometry (TMR) that allows for an estimation of the thermal expansion coefficient during isothermal processes. Caloric and optical studies show a differing behavior as a function of the nanoparticle concentration that will be in the focus of the discussion.