We report the structure and rheological properties of solvent-cast silica-filled latex films, completing the data presented in previous work. The structure of the filled latex films has been measured by small-angle neutron scattering. The scattered intensity varies considerably with the physicochemical parameters, indicating important structural modifications. Our analysis allows us to quantify the degree of aggregation of the silica in the matrix, which is studied as a function of pH, silica volume fraction and bead type. It is found that the pH has a dominant effect on the structure of the samples, unlike the silica volume fraction. Rheological properties of the samples are tested by means of uniaxial strain experiments and expressed in terms of a strain-dependent reinforcement factor. We show that the degree of aggregation of the filler particles is correlated with the low deformation response of the films, and that the rheological properties of the resulting material can thereby be tuned over a large range.
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