Material PropertiesStudies of RTV silicone rubber nanocomposites based on graphitic nanofillers

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.