Preparation and atomic oxygen erosion resistance of silica film formed on silicon rubber by sol–gel method

Based on the characteristic that silicon coupling agents have the capability to develop ‘molecular bridge’ in the interface of organic materials and inorganic materials, silica films were prepared on the surface of flexible silicon rubber by sol–gel method and the optical transmittance of the sample before and after atomic oxygen irradiation was tested. The surface morphology and structure of silica films were investigated by scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results indicated that the silica sol could easily form a uniform thin film on the surface of silicon rubber pretreated by high concentration silicon coupling agents, and the inorganic silica films could combine with organic silicon rubber without obvious delamination on the interface.