Rheological studies of fumed silica-polydimethylsiloxane suspensions

In this study, dynamic mechanical measurements and transmission electron microscopy are used to examine the behavior of fumed silica/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) suspensions. The work focuses on three aspects: (i) the modulation of the interactions between silica and PDMS through a controlled silylation of the silica surface; (ii) the effect of the process used to graft the silica surface; (iii) the effect of the silica volume fraction used in the dispersions. A relation between the silica grafting ratio, the aggregate size and the rheological properties has been established and the results have interpreted through a model of fractal clusters. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.