Viscoelastic properties of silicone rubber with admixture of SiO2 nanoparticles

Measurements have been carried out to investigate the change of dynamic viscoelastic properties of silicone rubber with the admixture of small amount SiO2 nanoparticles. A novel measurement method for the dynamic viscoelastic properties including the modulus of elasticity, the loss factor and the Poisson's ratio is employed. It was found that an admixture of rather small amount of SiO2 nanoparticles can substantially affect the viscoelastic properties of the silicone rubber. It is observed that the modulus of elasticity is increased, while the loss factor and the Poisson's ratio are reduced.

► SiO2 nanoparticles were used as an additive to silicone rubber.
► Dynamic viscoelastic properties of the silicone rubber changed significantly.
► The modulus of elasticity is increased, while the loss factor is decreased.
► The new method of measurements enabled determination of the dynamic Poisson's ratio.