Understanding Silicone Polymers Using Thermal Analysis

Silicon-based polymers exhibit unique properties that make them attractive for use in a variety of demanding applications. Many of those applications require them to withstand a broad range of temperature exposure where silicone polymers exhibit some significant advantages over organic elastomers. Chemical modification of the silicone can even further extend the performance. Multiple thermal analysis techniques are utilized in the characterization of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymers as well as functionalized silicone polymers such as phenyl silicones and fluorosilicones. They include Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA). Using multiple techniques, key properties such as transition temperatures, expansion/shrinkage rates and decomposition temperatures can be defined. This information is key to choosing the correct base polymer for a given product application. The key thermal response features of PDMS, phenyl-substituted and fluorosilicones will be compared with multiple thermal analytical methods to illustrate the power of this approach to silicone polymer characterization.