Looking over Liquid Silicone Rubbers: (2) Mechanical Properties vs Network Topology

In the previous paper of this series, eight formulations were analyzed under their uncross-linked forms to relate liquid silicone rubber (LSR) chemical compositions to material network topologies. Such topologies were confirmed by swelling measurements and hardness evaluation on vulcanized samples. In this article, characterization of cross-linked materials is further done using different mechanical measurements on final materials, including dynamic mechanical analysis, compression set, stress-strain behavior and tear resistance. It was shown that the compression set value is mainly related to the chains motion: increasing the filler-polymer interactions and/or decreasing the dangling/untethered chains content positively impact the compression resistance. Elongation at break depends on the molar mass between cross-linking points, showing an optimum value set at around 20 000 g mol(-1), i.e., the critical mass between entanglements. The distribution of elastic strands into the network has strong implications on the stress-strain curves profiles. By generating bimodal networks, the ultimate properties are enhanced. The materials cured by hydride addition on vinyl groups catalyzed by peroxide exhibit poorer compression set and tensile strength values, respectively, because of post-cross-linking reaction and broad polydispersity index of elastic network chains.