As a kind of elastomer material with excellent properties, silica gel has been widely used in many fields. However, in some specific applications, the hardness of silica gel needs to be increased to meet specific performance requirements. This article will explore how to increase the hardness of silica gel by different methods.
First. Introduction
Silica gel is a kind of polymer elastomer composed of siloxane chain segment and organic group. It has excellent high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, weather resistance and other characteristics, so it is widely used in sealing, insulation, waterproof and other fields. However, in some application scenarios, silica gel needs to have a higher hardness to meet specific performance requirements, such as wear resistance, pressure resistance, etc. Therefore, how to increase the hardness of silica gel has become an important research direction.
Second, the method of increasing the hardness of silica gel
1. Add filler: By adding an appropriate amount of filler in the silica gel, it can increase its hardness. The commonly used fillers are inorganic particles such as silica and calcium carbonate. These fillers can form a rigid network structure in the silica gel, thereby increasing its hardness. The type and amount of fillers need to be optimized according to the specific application requirements of silica gel.
2. Change the cross-linking density: the hardness of silica gel is closely related to its cross-linking density. By adjusting the type and amount of crosslinking agent, the crosslinking density of silica gel can be changed, thus affecting its hardness. Increasing the amount of crosslinking agent or selecting high activity crosslinking agent can improve the crosslinking density of silica gel, and then increase its hardness.
3. Introduction of rigid groups: By introducing rigid groups into the silica gel molecular chain, its hardness can be improved. The introduction of rigid groups can be achieved by chemical synthesis or blending modification. For example, the introduction of rigid structural units such as benzene rings in the silicone synthesis process, or the mixing of polymers containing rigid chain segments in the silicone can increase the hardness of the silicone.
4. Heat treatment: By heat treatment of silica gel, its molecular structure and cross-linked state can be changed, thus affecting its hardness. Appropriate heat treatment conditions can make the silica gel molecular chains more closely arranged and improve its hardness. However, it should be noted that heat treatment may lead to changes in other properties of silica gel, so comprehensive evaluation and optimization selection are needed.
Third. Summary
There are many ways to increase the hardness of silica gel, including adding fillers, changing the cross-linking density, introducing rigid groups and heat treatment. The selection and application of these methods need to be comprehensively considered and optimized according to the specific application requirements and the performance requirements of silica gel. Through reasonable method selection and process adjustment, silica gel materials with required hardness can be prepared to meet the application needs of different fields. At the same time, with the continuous development of science and technology, there may be more innovative methods and technologies for increasing the hardness of silica gel in the future.
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