Kong QH, Hu Y, Song L, Wang YL, Chen ZY, Fan WC (2006a) Influence of Fe-MMT on crosslinking and thermal degradation in silicone rubber/clay nanocomposites. Polymers for Advanced Technologies 17(6), 463-467. [In English]

Web link:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pat.723

Keywords:

silicones rubber, nanocomposites, thermal stability, gel fraction, polymer, montmorillonite, exfoliation, mechanism,

Abstract: In this article, silicone rubber (SR)/clay nanocomposites were synthesized by a melt-intercalation process using synthetic Fe-montmorillonite (Fe-MMT) and natural Na-MMT which were modified by cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). This study has been designed to determine if the presence of structural iron in the matrix can result in radical trapping and then enhance thermal stability, affect the crosslinking degree and elongation. The SR/clay nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Exfoliated and intercalated nanocomposites were obtained. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and mechanical performance were applied to test the properties of the SR/clay nanocomposites. The presence of iron significantly increased the onset temperature of thermal degradation in SR/Fe-MMT nanocomposites. The thermal stability, gel fraction and mechanical property of SR/Fe-MMT were different from the SR/Na-MMT nanocomposites. So the iron not only in thermal degradation but in the vulcanization process acted as an antioxidant and radicals trap. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley &, Sons, Ltd.