Issue 124, 2015

Highly stretchable composites from PDMS and polyazomethine fine particles

Abstract

Polyazomethine (PAZ) submicron (fine) particles were obtained by polycondensation reactions occurring in reverse micelles of an amphiphilic siloxane oligomer. These particles were used as a dispersed phase of 10–40 wt% in a high molecular mass PDMS to obtain all-polymer composites. The new materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), contact angle, breakdown and stress–strain measurements. Thin films with a uniform morphology all over the cross-section were obtained. The dielectric permittivity markedly increased (up to 300% at 1 Hz) compared to the pristine PDMS. The PAZ fine particles act as reinforcing fillers for the PDMS matrix. Low loading levels (10–20%) allow the material to be kept within the range of soft elastomers, with a maximum strain of 600–800% and a low Young’s modulus, while higher amounts of fillers limit the strain to around 350%. The dielectric and mechanical properties can be tuned depending on the composition and structure of the dispersed phase. Such materials may be interesting as dielectric elastomer transducers or as highly flexible PDLCs.

Graphical abstract: Highly stretchable composites from PDMS and polyazomethine fine particles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Jun 2015
Accepted
10 Nov 2015
First published
13 Nov 2015

RSC Adv., 2015,5, 102599-102609

Author version available

Highly stretchable composites from PDMS and polyazomethine fine particles

C. Racles, V. E. Musteata, A. Bele, M. Dascalu, C. Tugui and A. L. Matricala, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 102599 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA12297J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements