SYNOPSISPoly (dimethylsiloxane) elastomers that had been filled with in situ precipitated silica were studied by thermogravimetric analysis, under nitrogen and in air. Both types of measurements indicated that the filler raises the temperature of thermooxidative degradation of the polymer, possibly by inactivating the terminal -OH groups on the chains. Commercial fume silica was found to cause more severe degradation problems than did the in situ precipitated silica. In all cases, the degradation was more pronounced in air than in the inert atmosphere provided by nitrogen. 0 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
I NTRODU CTI 0 NThe need for elastomeric materials in a variety of applications has resulted in the development of highperformance materials that can be used over a wide range in temperature and under different environmental conditions, some of which are quite hostile. Organosiloxane polymers, of repeat unit [ -SiRR'O -1, have long been known to be very good materials in this regard' because of their low glass transition temperatures and high thermal stabilities compared with those of most carbon-based elastomer^.^,^ Among these, elastomers of poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are by far the most used.Thermal effects on elastomers can be either reversible or irrever~ible.~ More specifically, raising the temperature of an elastomer generally affects it in two ways: There is an immediate effect, which is reversible, followed by a long-term effect known as "heat-aging,'' which is irreversible. The reversible effects of temperature are physical in origin, for example, changes in the nature or degree of polymer crystallinity. Examples of irreversible change would be additional ( inadvertent ) curing, and degradative interactions with oxygen or ozone.