Insight into the thermal degradation behaviour and degradation products of cross-linked polydimethylsiloxanes

Silicone elastomers are extensively used as dielectric elastomers transducers[1], due to their unique features such as a remarkable thermal stability. This resistance to high temperatures is fundamental for the reliability and the performance of silicone-based devices and it originates from the high bond dissociation energy of the siloxane bond and the pronounced flexibility of the chain backbone. Keeping in mind the vast majority of work done so far on the degradation of silicones[2, 3], the goal of the present work is to achieve a deeper insight into the thermal degradation mechanism of commercial silicone elastomers with the main aim of translating it into the complex, coupled thermal and electrical breakdown processes that dielectric elastomers undergo. Furthermore, this study may pave the way towards designing more reliable dielectric elastomers transducers.