Unusual reinforcement of silicone rubber compounds containing mesoporous silica particles as inorganic fillers.

We fabricate mesoporous silica/silicone composites in a simple way and systematically examine their thermal stability, swelling characteristic, mechanical strength, and transparency. Simple calculations show that more than 90 vol% of mesopores are filled with silicone rubbers. Compared to non-porous silica/silicone composites, mesoporous silica/silicone composites showed a lower coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CTE). In addition, dramatic improvements of the tensile strength and Young's modulus are obtained with mesoporous silica/silicone composites. Furthermore, mesoporous silica/silicone composites show higher transparency than non-porous silica/silicone composites.

[1]  A. Okada,et al.  The chemistry of polymer-clay hybrids , 1995 .

[2]  Huan Li,et al.  Mechanical Properties and Structure of Polymer−Clay Nanocomposite Gels with High Clay Content , 2006 .

[3]  Jose Maria Kenny,et al.  Thermal and mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes–polypropylene composites prepared by melt processing , 2005 .

[4]  Mechanical properties and structural characterization of poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomers reinforced with zeolite fillers , 1994 .

[5]  K. Kuroda,et al.  Syntheses of Highly Ordered Mesoporous Materials, FSM-16, Derived from Kanemite , 1996 .

[6]  Bruce M. Novak,et al.  Hybrid nanocomposite materials―between inorganic glasses and organic polymers , 1993 .

[7]  J. Coleman,et al.  Small but strong: A review of the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube–polymer composites , 2006 .

[8]  Jonathan N. Coleman,et al.  Mechanical Reinforcement of Polymers Using Carbon Nanotubes , 2006 .

[9]  S. Fu,et al.  Cryogenic mechanical behaviors of MMT/epoxy nanocomposites , 2007 .

[10]  T. Pinnavaia,et al.  Clay-Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites , 1994 .

[11]  Yusuke Yamauchi,et al.  Bimodal filler system consisting of mesoporous silica particles and silica nanoparticles toward efficient suppression of thermal expansion in silica/epoxy composites , 2011 .

[12]  Lawrence T. Drzal,et al.  Thermo-physical and impact properties of epoxy nanocomposites reinforced by single-wall carbon nanotubes , 2004 .

[13]  T. Pinnavaia,et al.  Clay Nanolayer Reinforcement of a Silicone Elastomer , 2001 .

[14]  H. Wagner,et al.  Mechanical properties of carbon nanoparticle-reinforced elastomers , 2003 .

[15]  C. Cohen,et al.  Reinforcement of Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Elastomers by Chain-End Anchoring to Clay Particles , 1999 .

[16]  Peter J. F. Harris,et al.  Carbon nanotube composites , 2004 .

[17]  Sie Chin Tjong,et al.  STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES , 2006 .

[18]  Jihuai Wu,et al.  Chemical Modification of Minerals and Its Application as Silicone Rubber Reinforcing Filler , 1998 .

[19]  Y. Yamauchi,et al.  Fabrication of mesoporous silica/polymer composites through solvent evaporation process and investigation of their excellent low thermal expansion property. , 2011, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[20]  M. Gonçalves,et al.  Biogenic silica short fibers as alternative reinforcing fillers of silicone rubbers , 2006 .

[21]  Fredrickson,et al.  Triblock copolymer syntheses of mesoporous silica with periodic 50 to 300 angstrom pores , 1998, Science.

[22]  Y. Mai,et al.  A New Strategy to Exfoliate Silicone Rubber/Clay Nanocomposites , 2005 .

[23]  J. S. Beck,et al.  Ordered mesoporous molecular sieves synthesized by a liquid-crystal template mechanism , 1992, Nature.

[24]  Martin Müller,et al.  Reinforcement of poly(dimethylsiloxane) networks by mica flakes , 2001 .

[25]  Manuela L. Q. A. Kaneko,et al.  Effect of natural and organically modified montmorillonite clays on the properties of polydimethylsiloxane rubber , 2008 .

[26]  L. Qiang,et al.  Synthesis and properties of silicone rubber/organomontmorillonite hybrid nanocomposites , 1998 .

[27]  Liliane Bokobza,et al.  MULTIWALL CARBON NANOTUBE ELASTOMERIC COMPOSITES: A REVIEW , 2007 .

[28]  J. Saam,et al.  Silicone Elastomer Developments 1967–1977 , 1979 .

[29]  K. Kuroda,et al.  Silica-Based Mesostructured Materials Induced by Surfactant Assemblies in the Two-Dimensionally Limited Space of a Layered Polysilicate Kanemite , 2004 .

[30]  Yonggang Huang,et al.  Reinforcement of epoxy resins with multi-walled carbon nanotubes for enhancing cryogenic mechanical properties , 2009 .

[31]  K. Kuroda,et al.  Designed synthesis of nanostructured siloxane-organic hybrids from amphiphilic silicon-based precursors. , 2006, Chemical record.

[32]  L. Bokobza,et al.  Reinforcement of natural rubber , 2002 .

[33]  J. E. Mark,et al.  Clay nanolayer reinforcement of cis‐1,4‐polyisoprene and epoxidized natural rubber , 2001 .

[34]  R. Andrews,et al.  Carbon nanotube polymer composites , 2004 .

[35]  S. Sakka,et al.  Relation between apparent glass transition temperature and liquids temperature for inorganic glasses , 1971 .

[36]  J. E. Mark,et al.  Organically Modified Layered Silicates as Reinforcing Fillers for Natural Rubber , 2002 .

[37]  Liliane Bokobza,et al.  Elastomeric composites. I. Silicone composites , 2004 .

[38]  Ying Wan,et al.  On the controllable soft-templating approach to mesoporous silicates. , 2007, Chemical reviews.

[39]  Y. Yamauchi,et al.  Prototype of low thermal expansion materials: fabrication of mesoporous silica/polymer composites with densely filled polymer inside mesopore space. , 2010, Chemistry, an Asian journal.

[40]  Z. Rigbi.  Reinforcement of rubber by carbon black , 1982 .

[41]  M. Gonçalves,et al.  High molar mass silicone rubber reinforced with montmorillonite clay masterbatches: Morphology and mechanical properties , 2010 .

[42]  I. Daniel,et al.  Processing of expanded graphite reinforced polymer nanocomposites , 2006 .

[43]  YanagisawaTsuneo,et al.  The Preparation of Alkyltriinethylaininonium–Kaneinite Complexes and Their Conversion to Microporous Materials , 2006 .

[44]  J. Chauvin,et al.  Reinforcement of natural rubber: use of in situ generated silicas and nanofibres of sepiolite , 2005 .

[45]  N. Miyamoto,et al.  Mesoporous silica as smart inorganic filler: preparation of robust silicone rubber with low thermal expansion property , 2011 .

[46]  T. Sakai,et al.  Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of a Nanocomposite Gel Consisting of a Tetra-PEG/Clay Network , 2010 .

[47]  Nittaya Rattanasom,et al.  Reinforcement of natural rubber with silica/carbon black hybrid filler , 2007 .

[48]  Yoshiaki Fukushima,et al.  Synthesis of highly ordered mesoporous materials from a layered polysilicate , 1993 .

[49]  Highly Ordered Mesoporous Organosilica Hybrid Materials , 2006 .

[50]  P. Veltink,et al.  The mechanical properties of the rubber elastic polymer polydimethylsiloxane for sensor applications , 1997 .

[51]  K. Kuroda,et al.  The preparation of alkyltrimethylammonium-kanemite complexes and their conversion to microporous materials. , 1990 .

[52]  Liang Wang,et al.  Breakthrough and future: nanoscale controls of compositions, morphologies, and mesochannel orientations toward advanced mesoporous materials. , 2009, Chemical record.

[53]  Tianxi Liu,et al.  Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Nylon-6 Composites , 2004 .

[54]  Y. Yamauchi,et al.  Fabrication of mesoporous silica KIT-6/polymer composite and its low thermal expansion property , 2011 .