Sulfur Terms Links

There are three generally recognized classifications for sulfur vulcanization conventional, efficient (EV) cures, and semiefficient (semi-EV) cures. These differ primarily ki the type of sulfur cross-links that form, which ki turn significantly influences the vulcanizate properties (Eig. 8) (21). The term efficient refers to the number of sulfur atoms per cross-link an efficiency factor (E) has been proposed (20). 

Originally, vulcanization implied heating natural rubber with sulfur, but the term is now also employed for curing polymers. When sulfur is employed, sulfide and disulfide cross-links form between polymer chains. This provides sufficient rigidity to prevent plastic flow. Plastic flow is a process in which coiled polymers slip past each other under an external deforming force when the force is released, the polymer chains do not completely return to their original positions. 

Vulcanisation is the term used for the process in which the rubber molecules are lightly crosslinked in order to reduce plasticity and develop elasticity. It was originally applied to the use of sulfur for this purpose, but is now used for any similar process of cross-linking. Sulfur, though, remains the substance most widely used for this purpose. 

In structural terms, djenkolic has two units of L-cysteine joined through a CH2 group linked to sulfur atoms. It has also been found in seeds of Albizzia lophanta and Parkia speciosa32 and, as noted earlier, is the source of CS2 in Mimosa pudica (Section 11.1.2.2.2). An enzyme in A. lophanta seeds converted djenkolic acid to an unstable material with a leek-like odor, methylene dithiol 39.92 This was presumably an elimination of aminoacrylic acid 28 via intermediates 37 and 38 (Scheme 13). The methylene dithiol decomposed to H2S and possibly, thioformaldehyde, CH2S the latter might be a source for polysulfides. 

Chemical cross-linking is given many names depending on the particular area of application. For instance, for hair, the term setting is often associated with the breakage and subsequent reformation of thiol cross-links. For tires, the terms vulcanization and curing are associated with the formation of sulfur-associated chemical cross-links (Figure 2.19). 

Hair is composed of approximately 65 to 95% protein, 1 to 9% lipid, and small quantities of trace elements, polysaccharides, and water. - - The majority of hair protein is often referred to as keratin, which is a general term used to describe aggregates of protein with low or high sulfur content. These proteins are synthesized in the keratogenous zone of the hair follicle as matrix cells move upward from the hair bulb to form layers of the hair shaft. The cuticle, cortex, and medulla are comprised largely of keratin, although it is structurally different in each layer. Keratin in the exocuticle contains a high concentration of cysteine, which forms disulfide bonds which link the A-layer to the exocuticle, and this makes the cuticle... 

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