In the development process of materials science, the development of high-performance materials has always been one of the core objectives. As a highly promising polymer material, silicone rubber, exploring its performance limits through precise molecular structure design has become a crucial path for preparing high-performance materials.

The main chain of silicone rubber is composed of silicon-oxygen bonds (Si-O), and this unique chemical bond endows silicone rubber with some basic properties. To further enhance its performance, researchers start from various aspects of the molecular structure. In terms of adjusting the main chain structure, by changing the connection mode and length of the silicon-oxygen bonds, the flexibility and rigidity of the molecular chain can be regulated. For example, introducing longer silicon-oxygen chain segments can increase the movement space of the molecular chain and improve the flexibility of silicone rubber, enabling it to maintain good elasticity even in low-temperature environments, making it suitable for manufacturing sealing materials used in cold regions.
The design of side groups also has a profound impact on the properties of silicone rubber. Common side groups such as methyl groups endow silicone rubber with certain hydrophobicity and chemical stability. On this basis, the introduction of special functional side groups has become a research hotspot. For instance, introducing fluorine-containing side groups, due to the high electronegativity and small atomic radius of fluorine atoms, can significantly enhance the chemical corrosion resistance and low surface energy characteristics of silicone rubber. This fluorine-containing silicone rubber shows excellent performance in fields such as sealing of chemical equipment and anti-fouling coatings. It can effectively resist the erosion of corrosive media such as strong acids and alkalis, and at the same time reduce the adhesion of surface dirt.
The design of the cross-linking structure is a key link in determining the final properties of silicone rubber. The cross-linking density directly affects the mechanical properties, heat resistance, and chemical stability of silicone rubber. Appropriately increasing the cross-linking density can enhance the interaction between molecular chains and improve the tensile strength and wear resistance of silicone rubber, making it suitable for occasions where greater external forces are applied, such as the inner lining material of automobile tires. However, an excessively high cross-linking density will limit the movement of molecular chains, making the material hard and brittle. Therefore, precisely controlling the type and dosage of cross-linking agents as well as the cross-linking reaction conditions to achieve precise regulation of the cross-linking structure is an important means of developing high-performance silicone rubber materials. By using new cross-linking agents, such as multi-functional silanes with special functional groups, a more stable and uniform cross-linking network can be formed, further optimizing the comprehensive properties of silicone rubber.
In addition, introducing nanoparticles for compounding in the molecular structure design is also an effective strategy to improve the properties of silicone rubber. Nanoparticles such as nano-silica and carbon nanotubes have a high specific surface area and special physical and chemical properties. When they are uniformly dispersed in the silicone rubber matrix, a strong interaction will occur between the nanoparticles and the silicone rubber molecular chains, forming physical or chemical cross-linking points and enhancing the mechanical properties of the material. For example, the tensile strength, tear strength, and hardness of silicone rubber reinforced with nano-silica are significantly improved, and its thermal stability and aging resistance are also enhanced, which has broad application prospects in high-end fields such as aerospace and electronic packaging.


Industrial solvent free liquid coated silicone rubber