Finely Ground Pumice As a Potential Filler/Reinforcement Material for Silicone Elastomer Compounds

This paper evaluates the use of finely ground pumice as a potential filler/reinforcement material option for elastomers. A two level, four factor, fractional factorial design of experiment is used to study the statistically significant effects and interactions between:  1) filler type - pumice vs. silica, 2) particle size - 3 micron vs. 7 micron, 3) loading level - 10 phr and 30 phr, and 4) silane coupling agent - yes or no.  The physical properties, heat aged properties, and dynamic properties of the resulting silicone elastomer compounds are measured and evaluated for their respective performance.