Why Sulphur Is Used In Vulcanization Of Rubber

The sulfur used in the rubber industry includes sulfur powder insoluble sulfur colloidal sulfur precipitated sulfur sublimed sulfur deacidified sulfur and non crystalline sulfur.

Why sulphur is used in vulcanization of rubber. 8 18 47 in this figure three paths in the vulcanization curves of the rubber materials are shown. These chains slide over one another and get tied to one another which leads to natural rubber being sticky. Between them the first three. In the rubber industry sulfur also play an important role vulcanizing agent in rubber products.

Vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber or related polymers into more durable materials via the addition of sulphur or other equivalent curatives or accelerators. Sulfur is a common mineral in nature which has very important medicinal value. Sulfur vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber or related polymers into materials of a variety of hardness elasticity and mechanical durability by heating them with sulfur or other equivalent curatives or accelerators. Vulcanisation refers to a range of processes for hardening rubbers.

Sulfur forms cross linking bridges between sections of polymer chains which affects the mechanical and electronic properties. The term originally referred exclusively to the treatment of natural rubber with sulfur which remains the most common practice. Vulcanization curves of the pure nr and nr composites are illustrated in fig. Rubber is made up of hydrocarbon chains basically carbon and hydrogen.

Till late 1950 only sulphur was used to vulcanize rubber compounds. During compounding a high elastic state of sulfur at temperatures between 40 c and 70 c promotes elongation of its particles and next breaking these thin and weak needles into pieces. Sulphur is the first chemical discovered by charles goodyear to vulcanize natural rubber compounds. This is problematic because long exposure to temperature and oxygen leads to oxidative degradation which in turn results in poor mechanical properties.

Of these the first region is the scorch time or induction period which is the measurement of premature vulcanization. Its not true that only sulphur can be used for vulcanisation actually sulphur. Properties of rubber are improved by compounding it with some chemicals like sulphur hydrogen sulphide etc. However it has also grown to include the hardening of other synthetic rubbers via various means examples include silicone rubber via room temperature vulcanizing and.