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To investigate the impact factors and action mechanism for the improved thermal oxidative stability of silicone rubber (SR) by incorporating reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphene oxide (GO), and rGO were prepared, and subsequently graphite, GO and different amounts of rGO were introduced into SR. Transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction were performed to characterize morphology and surface chemical composition of particles (graphite, GO, and rGO). Scanning electron microscope and X‐ray diffraction were employed to investigate the dispersion of particles in the SR matrix. Moreover, the effect of morphology and surface chemical composition of particles on the thermal oxidative degradation of SR and the action mechanism were studied via measuring the mechanical properties and the average molecular weight between crosslinking points of the SR before and after aging, as well as utilizing thermogravimetric/infrared spectrometry. The results showed that rGO exhibited the largest exfoliation extent, few oxygen‐containing functional groups and better dispersion among these particles, causing the best thermal oxidative stability of rGO/SR nanocomposites, especially when its amount is 1 phr; incorporating rGO could increase the initial formation temperatures of pyrolysis products and decrease the concentrations of products from the oxidation and fracture of side groups of SR. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1105–1115, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]