3 Ways To Vulcanize Rubber
Rubber is a material that is commonly used in manufacturing and industrial processes. In order to increase the strength and durability of your rubber products, you may want to consider vulcanization.
The vulcanization process chemically transforms regular rubber to create a product with all the benefits of traditional rubber, but an added durability that will withstand the test of time. Knowing how to go about vulcanizing rubber will help you select the vulcanization process best suited to meet your manufacturing needs.
1. Vulcanization with sulfur.
One of the most common ways to vulcanize rubber is with the use of sulfur. Although it can take time for sulfur to work to change the chemical makeup of traditional rubber, modern technology has created a way to accelerate this process.
During vulcanization, a cure package is utilized. This cure package contains not only high levels of sulfur, but accelerating agents, anti-degradants, and activators that can help reduce the amount of time required to successfully create vulcanized rubber. Implementing a sulfur process is fairly simple and shouldn't take a lot of time to introduce into your manufacturing processes.
2. Vulcanization with polychloroprene.
Another agent that can be used to transform traditional rubber into vulcanized rubber is polychloroprene. This process is utilized with special natural and synthetic rubbers, like neoprene. During vulcanization, metal oxides are introduced to the traditional rubber.
These oxides can be temperamental, so it's important that the vulcanization process is carefully monitored to prevent scorch and other negative side effects from compromising the quality of your vulcanized rubber products.
3. Vulcanization of silicone.
Silicone is a popular rubber product used in the manufacturing industry today. If you need to vulcanize silicone, you will need to utilize a room-temperature vulcanizing process. These processes require that you expose your silicone products to acetoxysilane.
The chemical catalyst acetoxysilane begins to cure and harden when exposed to the natural humidity within the air. This allows you to let your silicone sit at room-temperature and still achieve the vulcanizing results that you are looking for. Silicone products vulcanized through room-temperature processes have the ability to withstand UV exposure and weathering, giving them the longevity required of a vulcanized rubber product.
Learning about the various vulcanization methods will allow you to select the method that is best suited to meet your long-term manufacturing needs in order to produce durable rubber products that can withstand the test of time.
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