Compatibility Study of Silicone Rubber and Mineral Oil

In this study, three types of silicone rubbers, namely, insulative silicone rubber, conductive silicone rubber and silicone rubber with conductive as well as insulative layers are investigated for their compatibility with mineral oil. Mineral oil with different silicone rubber samples is thermally aged at 130 °C for 360 h, 720 h and 1080 h and at 23 °C, 98 °C and 130 °C for 360 h. At the end of each ageing interval, mineral oil and oil-impregnated silicone rubbers are investigated for their dielectric properties. Aged mineral oil samples are investigated for their moisture content, breakdown voltage, colour number, dissolved gases and total acid number, whereas solid insulation samples are investigated for their moisture content. Additionally, pressboard samples in mineral oil and mineral oil without any solid insulation materials are also aged under the same conditions and are investigated for their dielectric properties. From the obtained results, it can be assessed that the presence of carbon particles in conductive silicone rubber negatively impacts the dielectric properties of mineral oil. Among the investigated silicone rubbers, the insulative silicone rubber exhibits good compatibility with mineral oil and a strong potential for being used in mineral oil.

Synthesis and characterization of electrically conductive silicone rubber — TiB2 composites

In this paper, electrically conductive composites comprised of silicone rubber and titanium diboride (TiB2) were synthesized by conventional mixing methods. Fine particles of TiB2 (in micron size) and 10 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr) proportion of carbon black (XC-72) were used to make the composites with HTV silicone rubber. The composites were cured at appropriate temperature and pressure and the effect on the electrical properties was studied. The resistance of the silicone rubber is ~ 1015Ω which decreases to 1–2 kΩ in case of composites with negligible effect of heat ageing. The hardness increases by ~ 35% simultaneous to the decrease of ~ 47% in the tensile strength. Morphological characterization indicates the homogeneous dispersion of the fillers in the composite.

Design of robot finger based on flexible tactile sensor

In this article, a flexible tactile sensor that made of conductive silicone rubber for dexterous robot hand is designed. The tactile sensor is made up of four microsensors. The maximum gripping force is simulated when the degree of a robot finger joint is 138. Meanwhile, a control system to analyze the creep and hysteresis characteristics and a processing system of the tactile sensor is designed. We also demonstrated an experiment for the application of robot grasp object, showing the finger’s flexibility and sensitivity. Then the feedback data is sent to control system to provide precise grasp action changes for the robot hand.

Thermal Stability and Kinetics of the Thermal Degradation of Thermal Conductive Silicone Rubber Filled with Al2O3 and ZnO

The kinetics of the thermal degradation and thermal stability of thermal conductive silicone rubber filled with Al2O3 and ZnO were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere at a heating rate of 10°C/min. The rate parameters were evaluated by the method of Freeman–Carroll. The results show that the thermal degradation of silicone rubber begins at about 350°C and ends at about 600°C. The thermal degradation is multistage, in which zero-order reactions are principal. The kinetics of the thermal degradation of thermal conductive silicone rubber has relevance to its loading of thermal conductive filler. The activation energies are temperature-sensitive and their sensitivity to temperature becomes weak as temperature increases.

Synthesis and Characterization of Electrically Conductive Silicone Rubber – TiB2 Composites

Electrically conductive composites comprised of silicone rubber and titanium diboride (TiB2) were synthesized by conventional mixing methods. Fine particles of TiB2 (in micron size) and 10 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr) proportion of carbon black (XC-72) were used to make the composites with HTV silicone rubber. The composites were cured at appropriate temperature and pressure and the effect on the electrical properties was studied. The resistance of the silicone rubber is ~ 1015Ω which decreases to 1 – 2 kΩ in case of composites with negligible effect of heat ageing. The hardness increases by ~ 35% simultaneous to the decrease of ~ 47% in the tensile strength. Morphological characterization indicates the homogeneous dispersion of the fillers in the composite.