Elastomeric silicone materials and their applications

An article adapted to receive multiple battery cells which provides thermal insulation between adjacent battery cells by the provision of a thermally insulating layer of a ceramifiable elastomeric silicone material between adjacent battery cells, which ceramifiable elastomeric silicone material is a cured product of a silicone rubber composition comprising:

• (i) one or more polydiorganosiloxanes having a weight average molecular weight of from 200,000 to 800,000 g/mol, having between 0.01 to 1% of alkenyl and/or alkynyl groups and present in an amount of from 30 to 70% wt. of the composition;
• (ii) a fumed silica filler present in an amount of from 28.0 to 40.0% wt. which fumed silica filler (ii) may be partially replaced with (iii) quartz having a particle size of from 1 to 30 μm;
• wherein when the quartz (iii) is present, the fumed silica (ii) and the quartz (iii) are each present in an amount ≥10% wt. of the composition, the maximum total combined amount of fumed silica (ii and quartz iii) present is 40% wt. of the composition and provided that:
• ([total % wt. fumed silica (ii)]+[half the % wt. of quartz (iii)]) is ≥28% wt. of the composition:
• (iv) a curing agent selected from:
• (a) an organic peroxide;
• or
• (b) a hydrosilylation cure package comprising;
• (b) (i) a hydrosilylation catalyst, and
• (b) (ii) an organopolysiloxane cross-linker having at least three hydrogen groups per molecule;
• and
• component (v) when curing agent (iv) is (a) an organic peroxide or optionally component (vi) when curing agent (iv) is (b) a hydrosilylation cure package;
• wherein:
• (v) is a platinum metal, or a compound or complex of a platinum group metal;
• and
• (vi) is a hydrosilylation cure inhibitor.