silicone rubber compounds as sealant for polymer fuel cells: a study of curing systems and nanoparticle properties

Durability of sealants is of great importance in the efficiency of using a polymer membrane fuel cell. in this research, in order to obtain the optimal formulation of polymer membrane fuel cell silicone sealant, various types of silicon rubber curing systems have been studied. in this regard, hydrosilylation and peroxide curing systems have been compared. in addition, the effect of particle size, surface chemistry, and amount of silica filler on the mechanical properties of silicone rubber has been evaluated. the performance of the designed compounds was evaluated by the tensile, compression set, hardness, and dmta, before and after accelerated aging. the results of hardness and swelling in solvent showed that hydrosilylation curing is superior to peroxide curing and mechanical tests showed that the smaller the dimensions of the filler, the higher the mechanical properties.