The tutorial aims to equip the beginners in silicone research with the knowledge to formulate recipes and process elastomer networks, targeting specific properties related to soft applications such as stretchable electronics without compromising the mechanical integrity of the elastomer.

Elastomers for fabricating soft and stretchable transducers require high elongation at break, high dielectric permittivity, high breakdown strength and low leakage current. We map blends of commercial silicones to find optimum compositions.

In this paper we investigate the performance of liquid silicone rubbers (LSRs) as dielectric elastomer transducers. Commonly used silicones in this application include room-temperature vulcanisable (RTV) silicone elastomers and composites thereof. Pure LSRs and their composites with commercially available fillers (an anatase TiO 2 , a core-shell TiO 2 -SiO 2 and a CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 filler) are evaluated with respect to dielectric permittivity, elasticity (Young's modulus) and electrical breakdown strength. Film formation properties are also evaluated. The best-performing formulations are those with anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles, where the highest relative dielectric permittivity of 5.6 is obtained, and with STX801, a core-shell morphology TiO 2 -SiO 2 filler from Evonik, where the highest breakdown strength of 173 V μm −1 is obtained.

Polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) elastomers are commonly used as dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAP). DEAP films are used in making actuators, generators and sensors. In the large scale manufacture of DEAP films, release of films from the substrate (carrier web) induces some defects and pre-strain in the films which affect the overall performance of the films. The current research is directed towards investigating factors affecting the peel force and release of thin, corrugated polydimethylsiloxane films used in DEAP films. It has been shown that doping the PDMS films with small quantities of perfluoroether allylamide (PFE) lowered the surface energy which could ease the release. This is further investigated together with an evaluation of the resulting change in actuator performance. The relationship between the adhesive energy, surface energy, Young's modulus and peel force of the films is analyzed.