Effect of zinc oxide/layered double hydroxide on friction properties of silicone rubber at low temperature

Abstract Friction significantly affects the service life of rubber seals, often leading to their failure. In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) and layered double hydroxide (LDH) were added to silicone rubber (HTV) by mechanical blending to study the friction properties of silicone rubber at low temperature. The addition of nanoparticles reduced the composites' glass transition temperature to −53.47°C. At low temperatures, the rubber's friction coefficient initially decreases before increasing. The original rubber exhibited the highest friction coefficient, whereas the 1/1‐ZnO/LDH/HTV composite had the lowest. There were a lot of pits on the friction surface of the original silicone rubber, but the friction surface of the composites with nano‐particles was smooth without pits, and the wear of 1/1‐ZnO/LDH/HTV composites was 18.4% lower than that of the original rubber. This was because ZnO and LDH formed a physical three‐dimensional network in rubber, which enhanced the intermolecular force, improved the low temperature resistance of composites and enhanced the wear resistance of rubber.