Enhanced Thermal Properties of Silicone Composites with Hexagonal Boron Nitride

In this study, silicone rubber an electrically insulating material is filled with, nanofiller; hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and micro-silica in three varying concentrations. The micro-silica is industrially preferred and widely used filler, whereas; h-BN is expensive and preferred for specialty applications. The fillers are added to silicone rubber using an electrostatic disperser which aids in homogenizing the filler-polymer mixture by means of shearing force along with elongation. The dispersion of fillers in the silicone matrix is studied using scanning electron microscope. The performance of synthesized silicone composites are evaluated using tensile strength, percent elongation at break, and erosion.