What the study found
Adding mineral fillers to silicone rubber lowered its mechanical tensile performance but increased its surface resistivity. The study concludes that, for these silicone rubber composites, the mechanical and electrical properties did not change together in a connected way.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors state that silicone rubber-based composites are of increasing interest for high voltage insulation because they may address drawbacks of ceramic insulators. The study suggests that understanding how mineral fillers affect silicone rubber could be relevant for high voltage insulator application.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined silicone rubber filled with three mineral fillers: SiO2, CaCO3, and CaSiO3. They tested samples with 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt.% filler loading using mechanical tensile testing, surface resistivity testing, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of fracture morphology.
What worked and what didn't
As filler loading increased, tensile performance decreased significantly. The abstract says this was linked to weak reinforcing action and gaps between the fillers and the rubber, which weakened cohesion between the rubber-filler components. In contrast, surface resistivity increased with higher filler loading, and the abstract describes this as a good surface resistivity outcome.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes these as preliminary studies. It does not provide detailed numerical results in the available summary, and it does not describe limits beyond the note that the observed mechanical and electrical properties were not interconnected under the tested filler conditions.
Key points
- Silicone rubber composites with mineral fillers showed lower tensile performance as filler loading increased.
- Surface resistivity increased as more filler was added.
- The fillers tested were SiO2, CaCO3, and CaSiO3 at 5 to 40 wt.% loading.
- SEM observation was used to examine fracture morphology.
- The abstract says mechanical and electrical properties were not interconnected under the tested conditions.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Mineral fillers reduced tensile strength and raised surface resistivity in silicone rubber
- Authors:
- Najwa Kamarudin, Jeefferie Abd Razak, Noraiham Mohamad, Nurbahirah Norddin, Aminuddin Aman, Mohd Muzafar Ismail, Ramli Junid, Tony Chew
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-24
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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