Influence of micro- and nanofillers on electro-mechanical performance of silicone EAPs

The effect of different fillers on the mechanical and dielectric properties of soft elastomers has been investigated. It was
found that the addition of a small amount of silica fillers would increase the Young’s modulus significantly but not
simultaneously increase the tear strength sufficiently for processing as thin films. Addition of nanoclay and barium
titanate nanoparticles to the soft elastomers was shown to be very favorable for the enhancement of the dielectric
properties without increasing the Young’s modulus significantly and could be used for DEAP material in e.g. microprocessing
where the tear strength is not crucial for processing. However, for elastomer film processing it is suggested
that a combination of the nanoclay or barium titanate with either silica particles or bimodal networks would give the
right tear strength together with the desired increased dielectric permittivity.