Reuse of Waste Silicone Rubber as a Functional Filler in HTV Silicone Elastomers: Mechanical Integrity and Energy Dissipation Behavior

This study presents a sustainable approach to reusing waste silicone rubber as a functional filler in high‐temperature‐vulcanized (HTV) vinyl methyl silicone (VMQ) elastomers. Waste silicone insulators were mechanically ground, size‐classified, and incorporated into a virgin HTV silicone matrix. The effects of waste silicone content and particle size on curing behavior, mechanical performance, and cyclic deformation were investigated. Rheological results showed that increasing the waste silicone content reduced both the maximum torque and the effective crosslink density, indicating restricted network formation at higher loadings. An optimal waste silicone content of 10 wt% yielded mechanical properties closest to those of the unfilled elastomer. Tensile tests revealed a moderate decrease in strength and modulus as particle size decreased, while overall mechanical integrity remained acceptable. Cyclic compression tests demonstrated that incorporating waste silicone preserved damping behavior and reduced residual deformation and stress softening, indicating improved elastic recovery. These results highlight the potential of mechanically recycled silicone rubber for sustainable HTV elastomer applications.