Influence of the pore size on optical and mechanical properties of ecoflex sponges

Abstract

Silicone polymers have various applications such as sensors, energy harvesters, soft robotics, prosthetics and implants. Ecoflex has become one of the most remarkable silicone polymers due to its special mechanical properties which include extreme stretchability and biocompatibility. In recent years, interest in porous silicone elastomers has increased in order to improve the absorption, flexibility and chemical activity of the material by increasing the surface area. In this study, porous Ecoflex 00-30 silicone elastomer material was prepared by using the low-cost sugar molding technique and its mechanical, optical and surface properties were investigated. In addition, we report on the influence of pore size on these properties of Ecoflex. Our results demonstrate that the Ecoflex material, which has a porous structure, has a more flexible structure. We have observed that the Ecoflex’s stretchability increased with pore size, especially in the 420–850 μ m range.

Keywords

• ecoflex
• porous structure
• sugar templating process