Curing system metal oxides

In addition to the normal sulphur cure systems, metal oxides can be used to cure the carboxylated nitriles. 

Curing Systems. Polychloroprene can be cured with many combiaations of metallic oxides, organic accelerators, and retarders (114). The G family of polymers, containing residual thiuram disulfide, can be cured with metallic oxides alone, although certain properties, for example compression set, can be enhanced by addition of an organic accelerator. The W, T, and xanthate modified families require addition of an organic accelerator, often ia combination with a cure retarder, for practical cures. 

Catalyst Selection. The low resin viscosity and ambient temperature cure systems developed from peroxides have faciUtated the expansion of polyester resins on a commercial scale, using relatively simple fabrication techniques in open molds at ambient temperatures. The dominant catalyst systems used for ambient fabrication processes are based on metal (redox) promoters used in combination with hydroperoxides and peroxides commonly found in commercial MEKP and related perketones (13). Promoters such as styrene-soluble cobalt octoate undergo controlled reduction—oxidation (redox) reactions with MEKP that generate peroxy free radicals to initiate a controlled cross-linking reaction. 

Amine Cross-Linking. Two commercially important, high performance elastomers which are not normally sulfur-cured are the fluoroelastomers (FKM) and the polyacrylates (ACM). Polyacrylates typically contain a small percent of a reactive monomer designed to react with amine curatives such as hexamethylene-diamine carbamate (Diak 1). Because the type and level of reactive monomer varies with ACM type, it is important to match the curative type to the particular ACM ia questioa. Sulfur and sulfur-beating materials can be used as cure retarders they also serve as age resistors (22). Fluoroelastomer cure systems typically utilize amines as the primary cross-linking agent and metal oxides as acid acceptors. 

Accelerated sulphur systems also require the use of an activator comprising a metal oxide, usually zinc oxide, and a fatty acid, commonly stearic acid. For some purposes, for example where a high degree of transparency is required, the activator may be a fatty acid salt such as zinc stearate. Thus a basic curing system has four components sulphur vulcanising agent, accelerator (sometimes combinations of accelerators), metal oxide and fatty acid. In addition, in order to improve the resistance to scorching, a prevulcanisation inhibitor such as A -cyclohexylthiophthalimide may be incorporated without adverse effects on either cure rate or physical properties. 

Most accelerators used in the accelerated sulfur vulcanization of other high diene rubbers are not applicable to the metal oxide vulcanization of CR. An exception is the use of so-called mixed-curing system for CR, in which metal oxide and accelerated sulfur vulcanization are combined. Along with the metal oxides, TMTD, DOTG, and sulfur are used. This is a good method to obtain high resilience and dimensional stability. 

Nitrile rubber can be cured by sulphur, sulphur donor systems and peroxides. However, the solubility of sulphur in nitrile rubber is much lower than in NR, and a magnesium carbonate coated grade (sulphur MC) is normally used this is added as early in the mixing cycle as possible. Less sulphur and more accelerator than is commonly used for curing natural rubber is required. A cadmium oxide/magnesium oxide cure system gives improved heat resistance, but the use of cadmium, a heavy metal, will increasingly be restricted. 

In addition to the use of peroxides for crosslinking, metal oxide, polyfunctional alcohols, amines and epoxide resin cure systems can be used with CSM rubbers. In the metal oxide based cure systems it is usual to add a weak acid, such as stearic acid, and accelerators, such as MBT, MBTS or TMTD magnesium or lead oxides are generally used. 

Conventional materials like different metal oxides are used in the curing systems of the rubber compounds. When used, these are freely present in the compound, soluble in the inorganic acids that are used in the oil exploration industry and lead to high swelling effects on rubber. 

High swell in inorganic acids (acidizing) since conventional technology used different metal oxides in the cure system that are soluble in these acids. 

Titanium or beryllium oxide also provides a degree of improvement in thermal conductivity to epoxy systems. Magnesium oxide and aluminum oxide have also been commonly used for this purpose, although the degree of improvement is not as great as with the fillers discussed above. The effect of various fillers on the thermal conductivity of cured adhesive is shown in Fig. 9.6. The incorporation of metal fibers with metal powders has been shown to provide synergistic improvement to the thermal conductivity of adhesive systems,... 

Peroxidic cure systems are applicable only to fluorocarbon elastomers with cure sites that can generate new stable bonds. Although peroxide-cured fluorocarbon elastomers have inferior heat resistance and compression set, compared with bisphenol cured types they develop excellent physical properties with little or no postcuring. Peroxide cured fluoroelastomers also provide superior resistance to steam, acids, and other aqueous solvents because they do not require metal oxide activators used in bisphenol cure systems. Their difficult processing was an obstacle to their wider use for years, but recent improvements in chemistry and polymerization are offering more opportunities for this class of elastomers [42]. 

A sulfur-curing system thus has basically four components a sulfur vulcanizing agent, an accelerator (sometimes combinations of accelerators), a metal oxide, and a fatty acid. In addition, in order to improve... 

Reinforcement of SBR with carbon black leads to vulcani2ates which resemble those of natural rubber, and the two products are interchangeable in most applications. As with natural rubber, accelerated sulfur systems consisting of sulfur and an activator comprising a metal oxide (usually zinc oxide) and a fatty acid (commonly stearic acid) are used. A conventional curing system for SBR consists of 2.0 parts sulfur, 5.0 parts zinc oxide, 2.0 parts stearic acid, and 1.0 part N-r-butylbenzothiazole-2-sulfenide (TBBS) per 100 parts polymers. 

Oxidation of elastomers is accelerated by a number of factors including heat, heavy metal contamination, sulfur, light, moisture, swelling in oil and solvents, dynamic fatigue, oxygen, and ozone. Three variables in the compound formulation can be optimized to resist degradation polymer type, cure system,... 

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