Effect of Surfactant on Dielectric and Thermal Properties of Silicone Nanocomposites

Experimental studies have been carried out on silicone nanocomposites to understand the effect of mixing method and filler treatment specifically, the use of surfactant on the performance of synthesized composites. Silicone rubber, RTV 615 is mixed with treated 10 wt% nano fumed silica to form silicone nanocomposites. Two types of filler treatment, namely calcination and adding surfactant, and two types of processing methods, electrostatic disperser (ED) and high shear (HS) mixing, are used to disperse the fillers. Structural, thermal and dielectric analyses of the nanocomposites are conducted on a total of five compositions, consisting of the same resin, filler, and filler weight, using the above-mentioned filler dispersion techniques. Calcination of fillers and the use of an electrostatic disperser for mixing have no adverse effects on the performance of composites, compared to use of surfactant. The results show that using surfactant impacts both the dielectric and thermal properties of nanocomposites due to a large number of weak interfaces.