Silicone Elastomers
Silicone polymers can be easily transformed into a threedimensional
network by way of a cross-linking reaction, which
allows the formation of chemical bonds between adjacent
chains. The majority of silicone elastomers are cross-linked
according to one of the following three reactions.
1. Cross-Linking with Radicals Efficient cross-linking
with radicals is only achieved when some vinyl groups are
present on the polymer chains. The following mechanism has
been proposed for the cross-linking reaction associated with
radicals generated from an organic peroxide (Stark, 1982):