Preparation and properties of peroxide dynamically vulcanized poly(vinylidene fluoride)/silicone rubber/zinc dimethacrylate composites

Composites of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), silicone rubber (SR), and zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA) were prepared via peroxide dynamic vulcanization. The effect of ZDMA loading on the morphology, mechanical properties, and rheology of the PVDF/SR/ZDMA composite was investigated. It was found that, some rubber particles with different diameters were aggregated and distributed in the PVDF matrix. The average diameters of rubber particles increased when ZDMA was incorporated into the PVDF/SR blend. A higher content of ZDMA seemed to show a favorable effect on the mechanical properties of PVDF/SR/ZDMA composites. The tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of PVDF/SR/ZDMA composites decreased with increasing the ZDMA loading, which was due to the decreased tensile strength and total crosslink density of SR/ZDMA composite and the increased diameter of rubber particles, but the compatibility and interfacial interaction between PVDF phase and SR phase were obviously improved, which contributed to improved the Izod impact strength. In addition, the rheology analysis also suggested that interfacial adhesion between PVDF phase and SR phase was improved due to the incorporation of ZDMA. POLYM. COMPOS. 37:1093–1100, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers