Physicochemical and Mechanical Characteristics of Composite Materials Based on Siloxane Rubber and Ceramic Dispersed Fillers

This study is devoted to the characterization of the optimal gas-discharge chamber material based on commercial vulcanizable polydimethylsiloxane rubber filled with a dispersed silicon dioxide-based reinforcing phase. Thermal analysis data for the polydimethylsiloxane rubber composite with an α-quartz dispersed reinforcing phase showed that the composite exhibited weight loss primarily in the temperature range of 480–640°C. A comparison of the thermal analysis results showed that the material exhibited approximately 10% higher weight loss resistance when tested over a 70°C increased temperature range compared to a composite based on polymethylphenylsiloxane rubber filled with silicon nitride. It has been shown that the optimal operating temperature for this composite is heating up to 300°C. However, varying the heating rate until reaching the vacuum annealing temperature can not only reduce sample mass loss after vacuum annealing but also significantly reduce the degradation of the discharge chamber material during operation at temperatures up to 400°C.