Improving the transient thermal response and ablation properties of epoxy-modified silicone rubber composites by adding fluxing agent

In this work, transient thermal response and ablation behavior of liquid silicone rubber composites containing fluxing/ceramic forming fillers were investigated under different heat flows using an oxyacetylene flame. The results indicated that the introduction of zinc borate (ZB) and aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) effectively reduced the temperature at various depths of the samples, and they improved the thermal insulation properties and lowered pyrolysis rates. The above finding was attributed to the heat absorption arising from water release and melt filling as well as the vitrified reaction of solid melt due to the decomposition of ZB. Besides, the melting and exfoliation of Al₂O₃ and the formation of aluminum silicate (Al₂SiO₅) caused heat absorption effect. Additionally, the mass ablation rates and line ablation rates increased with rising heat flows coupling with a decrease of compressive strength of the char layers. In a nutshell, the effect of adding ZB/Al₂O₃ on the thermal insulation behavior of epoxy-modified vinyl silicone rubber (EMVSR) composites under different heat flows was elucidtaed. This work served as a reference for the design and preparation of flexible ablative materials for thermal protection applications.