Effect of SiO 2 and TiO 2 nanoparticle on the properties of phenyl silicone rubber

Two types of nanoparticles TiO 2 and SiO 2 treated with silane coupling agents were incorporated into phenyl silicone rubber at a low concentration (≤1.0%) and cured by the room temperature vulcanized method. The results showed that treated TiO 2 or SiO 2 nanoparticles improved the ultraviolet (UV)‐shielding ability and enhanced the visible transmittance of the phenyl silicone rubber, compared with their respective untreated particles. Moreover, when comparing treated nanoparticles, TiO 2 was more responsible for augmenting the UV‐shielding ability of the phenyl silicone rubber, while SiO 2 played a more important role in increasing the transmittance of visible light. Low levels of nanoparticles reduced the dielectric constant of the nanocomposite; however, on reaching a critical concentration, increasing the nanoparticle content had the opposite effect. The thermal conductivity of nanocomposites increased linearly with the amount of treated nanoparticles, while SiO 2 nanocomposites exhibited better thermal conductivity than those of TiO 2 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42806.