Ozone attack

The antiozonant should possess adequate solubiUty and diffusivity characteristics (19). Siace ozone attack is a surface phenomenon, the antiozonant must migrate to the surface of the mbber to provide protection. The antiozonant should have no adverse effects on the mbber processiag characteristics, eg, mixing, fabrication, vulcanization, or physical properties. 

The relinking (14) and self-healing film (3) theories require chemical interaction between the antiozonant and ozonized mbber. The evidence for these interactions is meager (35,36). Overall, there seems to be no clear evidence in the Hterature for PDA derivatives becoming attached to mbber chains as a result of ozone attack. Much fundamental work in this area remains to be done, however. It seems clear at this point that any antiozonant—mbber interaction must be much less important than the scavenging effect of the antiozonant. In summary, the scavenger model is beheved to be the principal mechanism of antiozonant action. Ozone—antiozonant reaction products form a surface film that provides additional protection (37). 

Rubber and Synthetic Elastomers. For many years nondecorative coated fabrics consisted of natural mbber on cotton cloth. Natural mbber is possibly the best all-purpose mbber but some characteristics, such as poor resistance to oxygen and ozone attack, reversion and poor weathering, and low oil and heat resistance, limit its use to special appHcation areas (see Elastomers, synthetic Rubber, natural). 

Processing ndProperties. Neoprene has a variety of uses, both in latex and dry mbber form. The uses of the latex for dipping and coating have already been indicated. The dry mbber can be handled in the usual equipment, ie, mbber mills and Banbury mixers, to prepare various compounds. In addition to its excellent solvent resistance, polychloroprene is also much more resistant to oxidation or ozone attack than natural mbber. It is also more resistant to chemicals and has the additional property of flame resistance from the chlorine atoms. It exhibits good resiUence at room temperature, but has poor low temperature properties (crystallization). An interesting feature is its high density (1.23) resulting from the presence of chlorine in the chain this increases the price on a volume basis. 

The process yields a random, completely soluble polymer that shows no evidence of crystallinity of the polyethylene type down to —60°C. The polymer backbone is fully saturated, making it highly resistant to ozone attack even in the absence of antiozonant additives. The fluid resistance and low temperature properties of ethylene—acryUc elastomers are largely a function of the methyl acrylate to ethylene ratio. At higher methyl acrylate levels, the increased polarity augments resistance to hydrocarbon oils. However, the decreased chain mobiUty associated with this change results in less fiexibihty at low temperatures. 

Natural rubber is composed of polymerized isoprene units. When rubber is under tension, ozone attacks the carbon-carbon double bond, breaking the bond. The broken bond leaves adjacent C = C bonds under additional stress, eventually breaking and placing shll more stress on surrounding C = C bonds. This "domino" effect can be discerned from the structural formulas in Fig. 9-4. The number of cracks and the depth of the cracks in rubber under tension are related to ambient concentrations of ozone. 

Rubber products may be protected against ozone attack by the use of a highly saturated rubber molecule, the use of a wax inhibitor which will "bloom" to the surface, and the use of paper or plastic wrappings to protect the surface. Despite these efforts, rubber products still crack more on the West Coast than on the East Coast of the United States. 

Describe why some types of synthetic rubber are less susceptible to ozone attack than natural rubber. 

This situation is identical to the previous one and occurs for example when paraffin wax is mixed into rubber above the melting point of the wax. On cooling, the wax starts to crystallise, some of it forming a bloom on the rubber surface. Such a bloom assists in protecting a diene rubber from ozone attack. 

Such structural changes are a consequence of chemical reactions of which the most common are oxidation, ozone attack, dehydrochlorination and ultraviolet attack. (Reactions due to high-energy radiation or to high temperature are not considered here as causing natural aging.) Over the years many materials have been introduced as antioxidants, antiozonants, dehydrochlorination stabilisers and ultraviolet absorbers—originally on an empirical basis but today more and more as the result of fundamental studies. Each of these additive types will be eonsidered in turn. 

Like NR, SBR is an unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer. Hence unvulcanised compounds will dissolve in most hydrocarbon solvents and other liquids of similar solubility parameter, whilst vulcanised stocks will swell extensively. Both materials will also undergo many olefinic-type reactions such as oxidation, ozone attack, halogenation, hydrohalogenation and so on, although the activity and detailed reactions differ because of the presence of the adjacent methyl group to the double bond in the natural rubber molecule. Both rubbers may be reinforced by carbon black and neither can be classed as heat-resisting rubbers. 

The close structural similarities between polychloroprene and the natural rubber molecule will be noted. However, whilst the methyl group activates the double bond in the polyisoprene molecule the chlorine atom has the opposite effect in polychloroprene. Thus the polymer is less liable to oxygen and ozone attack. At the same time the a-methylene groups are also deactivated so that accelerated sulphur vulcanisation is not a feasible proposition and alternative curing systems, often involving the pendant vinyl groups arising from 1,2-polymerisation modes, are necessary. 

Degradation of rubbers and resins can also be produced by ozone attack. Ozone directly reacts with, and cleaves, the carbon-carbon double bonds of rubbers and resins. Thus only polymers with backbone unsaturation will be cracked by ozone. Unlike oxidation, ozone attack cannot be accelerated by increasing the... 

Ozone cracking is a physicochemical phenomenon. Ozone attack on olefinic double bonds causes chain scission and the formation of decomposition products. The first step in the reaction is the formation of a relatively unstable primary ozonide, which cleaves to an aldehyde or ketone and a carbonyl. Subsequent recombination of the aldehyde and the carbonyl groups produces a second ozonide [58]. Cross-linking products may also be formed, especially with rubbers containing disubstituted carbon-carbon double bonds (e.g. butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber), due to the attack of the carbonyl groups (produced by cleavage of primary ozonides) on the rubber carbon-carbon double bonds. 

Ozone attack of rubbers can be prevented in three ways (1) coating the surface (2) adding a chemical antioxidant (3) relieving internal stresses by adding ozone-resistant polymers. 

Rubber is protected against ozone attack by addition of physical and/or chemical antiozonants. Hydrocarbon waxes are the most common type of physical antiozonants, and p-phenylenediamine derivatives are the prevalent chemical antiozonants. Waxes bloom to the rubber surface and form a protective barrier. 

Brittleness with age. Degradative oxidation can be produced, even after vulcanization, due to oxygen and ozone attack to the carbon-carbon double bonds. Adequate antioxidants must be added if ageing is a key factor in performance. 

The most effective antiozonants are the substituted PPDs. Their mechanism of protection against ozone is based on the scavenger-protective film mechanism [68-70]. The reaction of ozone with the antiozonant is much faster than the reaction with the C=C bond of the rubber on the rubber surface [56]. The rubber is protected from the ozone attack tUl the surface antiozonant is depleted. As the antiozonant is continuously consumed through its reaction with ozone at the mbber surface, diffusion of the antiozonant from the inner parts to the surface replenishes the surface concentration to provide the continuous protection against ozone. A thin flexible film developed from the antiozonant/ozone reaction products on the mbber surface also offers protection. 

Since ozone attack on rubber is essentially a surface phenomenon, the test methods involve exposure of the rubber samples under static and/or dynamic strain, in a closed chamber at a constant temperature, to an atmosphere containing a given concentration of ozone. Cured test pieces are examined periodically for cracking. 

The chemoselectivity of the ozonolysis is all right because ozone attacks the most electron-rich double bond, that is the one furthest from the carbonyl group in (17, R=H). Reductive work-up is again needed after the ozonolysis,... 

Ozone attacks the rings of PAHs rather indiscriminately with fission of the rings to prodnce aldehyde gronps. There has been concern, however, since the products may be more harmful than their precursors. In the studies that are used as illustration, in vitro gap junctional intracellular communication (GJIC) was used to assess adverse alteration on the expression of genes at the transcription, translational, or posttranslational level ... 

In our study we have found that UV-light greatly accelerates the rate of ozone attack at the polypropylene surface. Presented results were undertaken to determine mechanism of the photo-oxidation of polypropylene surface upon UV-irradiation of polymer films in ozone. 

Nitrile rubbers have high resistance to oils and organic solvents, and, although their mechanical properties are not as good as those of natural rubber, they are subject to much less deterioration in the presence of oils and solvents. They are not resistant to ozone attack. 

PVC/NBR polymer blends can be produced as colloidal or mechanical blends, the former generally giving superior properties. Commercially available blends have PVC contents ranging from 30-55%. The blends have reduced elasticity, which gives improved extrudability, but they also exhibit superior ozone resistance, improved oil swell resistance, and tensile and tear strength this, however, is achieved at the expense of low temperature flexibility and compression set. The ozone resistance of such blends is, however, only improved if the PVC is adequately distributed and fluxed. This is harder to achieve in mechanical blends, but if it is not achieved failure due to ozone attack can occur. 

Retardation of oxidative degeneration and the effects of ozone attack can be mitigated but not totally overcome by the use of chemicals which, unfortunately, in the case of the most effective types, carry the penalty of causing staining of the rubber compound or surfaces with which it comes into contact. 

Ozone attack on rubbers takes the form of cracking which takes place perpendicular to the direction of the strain. 

Ozone attack occurs mainly at the olefinic double bond of a diene rubber and, if not protected against, will result in loss of physical integrity for thin sectioned articles and surface cracking on larger mass products. 

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