Yaser kashcooli - Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology
Susan Dadbin - Radiation applications research school, Nuclear science and technology research institute
Masoud Frounchi - Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology

Compounding virgin and electron beam irradiated Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon) powder with silicon rubber produced silicon rubber/PTFE composites with desired physical properties. Mechanical and surface properties of the composites were characterized with tensile strength, abrasion resistance and water drop contact angle measurements. All the composite samples containing none-treated and irradiated PTFE (5-15 phr) displayed higher tensile strength compared to those of the neat silicon rubber. Irradiation of PTFE powder had a significant effect on improving the abrasion resistance as it was verified by decrease in mass reduction of the composite samples even by incorporating irradiated PTFE (with the absorbed dose of 200 kGy) as low as 5phr. The similar result on abrasion resistance obtained with the addition of much higher amounts (30 phr) of the virgin PTFE. Water drop contact angle of the composite samples decreased slightly with increasing the absorbed dose of Teflon.

composite, PTFE, mechanical properties, Silicone rubber, surface properties