Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
tion of the elastomer is a non-silicone one—such as EPDM —can be obtained
via a hybrid-containing silicone crosslinking agent [155-157].
5
Conclusion
Despite the incompatibility of silicone towards many polymers, several tech-
niques have been more or less successfully developed to produce silicone
containing physical blends. Although compatibilization remains essentially of
academic interest only, many industrial applications for IPNs are a testimony
to their growing importance. Silicone blends allow researchers to introduce
specific properties such as impact resistance or low surface energy to poly-
mers that fundamentally lack these characteristics. On the other hand, it must
be acknowledged that silicone blends and related fields of research are still
open to further development and will undoubtedly lead to a wide range of
future industrial applications.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Edeline Wentrup-Byrne (Queensland
University of Technologie, Brisbane, Australia) for her kind help.
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