Rubber sulfur curing

Ethylene—Propylene Rubber. Ethylene and propjiene copolymerize to produce a wide range of elastomeric and thermoplastic products. Often a third monomer such dicyclopentadiene, hexadiene, or ethylene norbomene is incorporated at 2—12% into the polymer backbone and leads to the designation ethylene—propylene—diene monomer (EPDM) mbber (see Elastomers, synthetic-ethylene-propylene-diene rubber). The third monomer introduces sites of unsaturation that allow vulcanization by conventional sulfur cures. At high levels of third monomer it is possible to achieve cure rates that are equivalent to conventional mbbers such as SBR and PBD. Ethylene—propylene mbber (EPR) requires peroxide vulcanization. 

Figure 8 shows the SEM images with a low level of strain (50%). It is clear that even with a low-strain level defects are initiated in the sulfur cured system with the formation of large cracks at the boundary layer between the two phases. However, in the peroxide cured system the mechanism of crack initiation is very different. In the latter case the NR-LDPE interface is not the site for crack initiation. In this case, stress due to externally applied strains is distributed throughout the matrix by formation of fine crazes. Furthermore, such crazes are developed in the continuous rubber matrix in a direction... 

FIGURE 5.15 Failure envelope of various mixes A, natural rubber-polyethylene (NR-PE) vul-canizate (peroxide cured) , NR-PE vulcanizate (sulfur cured) , NR-PE vulcanizate with CPE as compati-bilizer V, EPDM-PE vulcanizate o, EPDM-PP vulcanizate (sulfur cured) NR-ENR-PE -PE. (Erom Roy Choudhury, N. and Bhowmick, A.K., J. Mat. Sci., 25, 161, 1990. With permission from Chapman HaU.)... 

High Sulfur-Cure Systems for Nitrile Rubber ... 

Matsushita et al. [127] prepared compositions showing good vulcanizability containing EPDM reclaim. Weather-strip wastes comprising of sulfur-cured EPDM mbber (containing 50% carbon black) were kneaded at 300°C and 3 MPa and extruded to give a rubber (Mw 200,000 gel content 65%), 25 parts of which was mixed with unvulcanized SBR 75, carbon black 37.5, and sulfur 1.3... 

Sulfur-containing spiro orthocarbonates, cationic polymerization of, 23 729 Sulfur-cured EPDM, 21 8041. See also Ethylene- propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber Sulfur deposits... 

Rubber separators have good voltage characteristics, the ability to retard antimony transfer, properties to retard dendrite growth, and good electrochemical compatibility. Due to the hydrophilic properties of the rubber composition, the separators are highly wettable and renewable for the dry-charging process. Paik et al. showed that AGE-SIL (sulfur cured, hard rubber) separators performed well in industrial stationary or traction batteries. FLEX-SIL (electron-beam-cured. flexible rubber separator) separators are suited for deep-cycling batteries, and MICROPOR-... 

Fillers. Materials used as fillers (qv) in rubber can also be classified as acidic, basic, or neutral. Furnace blacks, ie, HAF, FEF, or SRF, are somewhat basic. As such, they can have an activating effect on sulfur cure rates. Furthermore, carbon blacks have been found to promote formation of mono/disulfide cross-links thereby helping minimize reversion and enhance aging properties. 

Obviously, there are many subtle differences in the structure, morphology, or network topology between radiation cured and sulfur cured elastomers, but their physical properties may be nearly equal, provided that precautions are taken to avoid the occurrence of chain scissions. A comparison of radiation cross-linked and sulfur cured natural rubber (gum and carbon-black-reinforced compounds) is in Table 5.4. ... 

The prevulcanization of natural rubber in latex form has also been a subject of much investigation. The cross-linking mechanism is not yet fully understood, but the water apparently plays a major role in it. Irradiation results in the cross-linking of the rubber molecules and in coarsening of the latex particles. A process of cross-linking of natural rubber latex has been developed to the point that it can be used for an industrial-scale application. The irradiation is performed in aqueous media by electron beam without a prorad (sensitizer) at a dose of 200 kGy (20 Mrad) or in the presence of n-butyl acrylate at considerably lower doses, typically 15 kGy. The cross-linked film exhibits physical properties comparable to those obtained from sulfur cured (vulcanized) film. As an alternative, the addition of a variety of chloroal-kanes makes it possible to achieve a maximum tensile strength with radiation doses of less than 5 Mrad (50 kGy). ... 

A process of cross-linking of natural rubber latex has been developed to where it should be soon ready for an industrial-scale process.149 The irradiation is performed in aqueous media by electron beam without a prorad ( sensitizer ) at a dose of 200 kGy (20 Mrad) or, in the presence of n-butyl acrylate at considerably lower doses, typically 15 kGy. The cross-linked film exhibits physical properties comparable to those obtained from sulfur-cured (vulcanized) film. 

The morphology of rubber-based nanocomposites also seems to change in the presence of compounding ingredients [89, 90]. HNBR, when melt-compounded with organo-modified sodium montmorillonite clays (o-MMTs) prior to sulfur curing, resulted in the formation of nanocomposites with exfoliated or intercalated structures. In stark contrast, under similar conditions HNBR compounded with unmodified sodium montmorillonite clays (NA) formed microcomposites [90]. This was traced to its reactivity with the sulfur in the presence of amine-type organomodifiers. 

Coated materials are evaluated in S-SBR and in 50 50 blends of S-SBR and EPDM rubbers. In blends, the partitioning of fillers and curatives over the phases depends on differences in surface polarity. In S-SBR, polythiophene-modified silica has a strong positive effect on the mechanical properties because of a synergistic reaction of the sulfur-moieties in the polythiophene coating with the sulfur cure system. In S-SBR/EPDM blends, a coating of polyacetylene is most effective because of the chemical similarity of polyacetylene with EPDM. The effect of... 

Fig. 49. Standard 13C NMR spectrum (top) and DEPT spectra of sulfur cured natural rubber (6h at 138 °C). The label T indicates peaks from trans-polyisoprene units, X marks residual peaks from other subspectra and arrows indicate peaks due to crosslink sites (adapted from Ref. 194>)...

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