In the field of materials science, enhancing the performance of silicone rubber to meet the growing application demands has always been a research focus. Introducing nanomaterials into silicone rubber to prepare nanocomposites is an effective way to enhance the performance of silicone rubber, and the underlying nanocomposite reinforcement mechanism has also attracted much attention.

There is a strong interfacial interaction between nanoparticles and the silicone rubber matrix, which is one of the key factors in nanocomposite reinforcement. Taking the silicone rubber reinforced by nano - silica (SiO₂) as an example, the surface of nano - SiO₂ is rich in hydroxyl groups (-OH), which can interact with the silanol groups (-SiOH) or other active groups on the silicone rubber molecular chains through forms such as hydrogen bonds and chemical bonds. This strong interaction enables the nanoparticles to be uniformly dispersed in the silicone rubber matrix and effectively transfer stress when the material is under force. When the silicone rubber is stretched by an external force, the silicone rubber molecular chains around the nanoparticles are restricted by the interfacial interaction and are not prone to relative sliding, thereby enhancing the overall deformation resistance of the material and significantly improving the tensile strength and modulus of the silicone rubber. Studies have shown that the tensile strength of silicone rubber with an appropriate amount of nano - SiO₂ added can be increased by 30% - 50%, and the modulus can be increased by 50% - 80%.
The size effect of nanoparticles also plays an important role in the nanocomposite reinforcement of silicone rubber. Due to the extremely small size of nanoparticles, they have a very large specific surface area, which can generate more contact points with the silicone rubber molecular chains. In the silicone rubber matrix, nanoparticles are like a large number of tiny "anchor points", restricting the thermal movement of molecular chains and enhancing the interaction between molecular chains. At the same time, small - sized nanoparticles can fill the gaps between the silicone rubber molecular chains, making the material's microstructure more compact and further improving the material's performance. For example, using nano - calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) with a particle size of 20 - 50 nanometers to reinforce silicone rubber can effectively improve the wear resistance of the silicone rubber. During the friction process, the nano - CaCO₃ particles can disperse stress and reduce the wear on the silicone rubber surface, increasing the wear - resistant performance of the silicone rubber by 2 - 3 times.
In addition, the shape of nanoparticles also has a significant impact on the performance of silicone rubber nanocomposites. Nanoparticles with special shapes, such as nanofibers (e.g., carbon nanotubes) and nanosheets (e.g., montmorillonite layers), can form unique orientation structures in the silicone rubber matrix. Taking the silicone rubber reinforced by carbon nanotubes as an example, carbon nanotubes have a high aspect ratio and can be preferentially oriented and arranged along the stress - bearing direction in the silicone rubber. This orientation structure can act like a microscopic "skeleton" when the material is under force, bearing most of the stress and greatly improving the mechanical properties of the silicone rubber. At the same time, the high conductivity of carbon nanotubes can also endow the silicone rubber nanocomposite with excellent electrical conductivity, which can be used to prepare functional silicone rubber materials for anti - static and electromagnetic shielding.
By deeply understanding the nanocomposite reinforcement mechanism, researchers can optimize the preparation process of silicone rubber nanocomposites in a targeted manner. For example, by modifying the surface of nanoparticles to enhance their compatibility and interfacial interaction with the silicone rubber matrix, and precisely controlling the addition amount and dispersion state of nanoparticles to obtain the best reinforcement effect. These optimization strategies contribute to the development of silicone rubber nanocomposites with more excellent performance to meet the needs for high - performance materials in many fields such as aerospace, electronic information, and the automotive industry.


Silicone Rubber for ultra-high voltage cable