High residue contents indebted by platinum and silica synergistic action during the pyrolysis of silicone formulations.

The synergistic role of platinum and silica as a way to increase the final residue of pyrolized silicone was investigated and explained, giving new interpretations. Conditions were first set to study the thermal degradation of silicones in the presence of platinum based on the simplest silicone/silica/platinum formulation. Numerous parameters, e.g., platinum and silica content or silica surface modifications, were varied to track their influences on the final residues. A thorough DSC study, together with SEM/EDX and Pyrolysis/GC-MS analyses, led us to propose a three-stage process. The key parameter governing thermal stability and final content of the residue is the conjugated actions of immobilizing/cross-linking PDMS chains. Silica particles tether silicone chains through physical interactions, i.e., hydrogen bonding, facilitating a platinum radically catalyzed cross-linking reaction. Practical implications and possible improvements on LSR formulations are finally given.