VOLUME FRACTION AND TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF SILICONE-RUBBER PARTICULATE EPOXY BLENDS

At all temperatures, both the Young's modulus and tensile strength of silicone rubber particle/epoxy resin blends decreased as the volume fr action of the silicone rubber particles was increased, and this decrea se became greater with falling temperature. A volume fraction-temperat ure superposition held for both the Young's modulus and tensile streng th of the blends. The shifted volume fraction of silicone rubber parti cles needed to obtain master curves increased with increasing temperat ure and the shift was almost the same for both properties. An optimum suitable volume fraction of rubber particles existed in terms of impro ving impact fracture energy. A volume fraction of silicone rubber part icles of 5-10% appears to be the most suitable for obtaining a blend i n which the decrease in Young's modulus and the tensile strength is re latively low and the increase in impact fracture energy is relatively high.