Effect of nanosized ferric oxide on the thermostability of methylsilicone resin

Nanocomposite of methylsilicone resin/Fe₂O₃ (MSR/Fe₂O₃, metal oxide nanoparticles with average particle-size of 20 nm) was successfully synthesized by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and condensation of methyltrimethoxy silane (MTMS). The obtained nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The FTIR and XPS results show that the nanoparticles were well dispersed in the MSR matrix. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results show that Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles can remarkably improve the thermal stability of MSR. In comparison with methylsilicone resin, the temperature values of the resulting nanocomposite at the onset of degradation and the maximum rate of mass loss were increased 55 and 76 °C, respectively.