Effects of Inclusion Particle Properties on the Viscoelastic Properties of Silica/Polydimethylsiloxane Composites

Polymers are an important class of materials that are a part of many of our everyday products, as well as a key component in the development of new materials and technology. Polymer composites are often used in products because they offer economical and physical advantages over other materials, including the pure polymer. Although commonly used, the effects of inclusion properties (such as size, shape, material, etc.) on the composite's material properties is not fully understood. In this study, an apparatus was built in order to study the viscoelastic properties of Silica/Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) composites of varying filler volume fractions and particle sizes.