Effect of zinc oxide/layered double hydroxide on the mechanics of silicone rubber at low temperature

Low-temperature conditions can degrade various properties of rubber, impacting the application of rubber products in such conditions. In this study, we incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO) and magnesium aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) into silicone rubber (SR) to produce x-ZnO/LDH/SR composites, where X represents the addition ratio of ZnO to LDH. The results indicated that, at −40 °C, the tensile strength and elongation at break for 1/2-ZnO/LDH/SR were 10.6 % and 5.0 % greater than the original silicone rubber, respectively. In addition, after aging at −40 °C for 3 days, the compression set of the composites decreased by 48.6 %. This improvement was attribute to ZnO and LDH forming a physical cross-linking network within the rubber. This not only enhanced the mechanical properties of silicone rubber at low temperatures but also offers a straightforward and viable approached to producing high-performance, low-temperature-resistant sealing products.