Rubber Thermal Stabilizer Nanocerium Oxide

I. Chemical Name

Chinese Name: Nano Cerium Oxide

English Name: Nano Cerium Oxide, Nano Ceria

II. Composition/Component Information

CAS Number: 1306-38-3

Color: White or light yellow powder

Molecular Weight: 172.13

Molecular Formula: CeO₂

III. Specifications

IV. Applications

Under high-temperature, sealed, and oxygen-free conditions, silicone rubber primarily undergoes thermal rearrangement degradation of the main chain, i.e., depolymerization, causing the product to soften (or become soft) and lose mechanical strength, rendering it useless. In high-temperature, oxygen-rich environments, oxidation of the polymer side groups occurs, forming alkyl free radicals. The coupling reaction of these free radicals increases the crosslink density, leading to gradual hardening of the product and eventual cracking (known as hardening).

Adding cerium oxide to silicone rubber can prevent the oxidation crosslinking of polysiloxane side chains and the cyclization degradation of the main chain. Within a certain temperature range, it inhibits free radical reactions caused by oxidation in silicone rubber and can regenerate under the action of O₂ in the air. By absorbing trace acidic or alkaline substances in silicone rubber that catalyze degradation reactions, it provides thermal stability to the silicone rubber.

Additionally, the unique electronic structure of cerium oxide (with an unfilled f-electron shell) makes it prone to forming complexes. These complexes inhibit the segmental movement of rubber molecules, reducing swelling in solvents and thereby enhancing the oil resistance of the rubber.

Experiments at the Ministry of Education’s Laboratory of Rubber and Plastic Materials and Engineering at Qingdao University of Science and Technology showed that adding cerium oxide has a minor impact on the mechanical properties of silicone rubber but improves its heat resistance and significantly enhances its oil resistance. The optimal amount of cerium oxide is 5 parts. Thermal analysis revealed that, compared to silicone rubber without cerium oxide, silicone rubber with 10 parts of cerium oxide exhibited a 13°C increase in the peak thermal decomposition temperature under nitrogen, a 25–18°C increase in the first-stage peak thermal decomposition temperature in air, and a 9–11°C increase in the second stage, indicating that cerium oxide provides thermal stability to silicone rubber.

V. Packaging25KG/bag    

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