An investigation of the properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-bioinspired silica hybrids

摘要: Elastomers typically require the incorporation of reinforcing fillers in order to improve their mechanical properties. For commercial silicone systems silica and titania are used as fillers. Fumed precipitated made on an industrial scale for many applications; however, we have shown recently that biological synthetic macromolecules can generate new structures using a bioinspired route. Herein incorporated into poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomers investigated mechanical, morphological thermal properties function filler loading. The equilibrium stress-strain characteristics PDMS-bioinspired hybrids were determined loading Mooney-Rivlin constants (2C(1) 2C(2)) calculated. characteristics, particular glass transition temperatures (T-g) melting points (T-m), characterized differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). stability these hybrid materials thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). morphology samples was electron microscopy (SEM), dispersion ultra small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) (SEM). Although spherical particles here, demonstrated elsewhere this route also enables highly asymmetric be prepared such fibres sheets. This methodology therefore offers interesting possibility preparing where anisotropic. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.