Crosslinking: The journey from weaker plastic to stronger rubber elasticity
by Dasitha Lakshan, consultant. – A conceptual train journey is presented by the author that reimagines the chemistry of S vulcanization; in the world of rubber science, every product begins its journey with plasticity before the crosslinking process unites rubber chains into a closer and stronger state of elasticity.
The “Crosslinking Express” described in this article is a conceptual train journey that reimagines the chemistry of S vulcanization. In the world of rubber science, every glove, tire or seal begins its life in a distant and weaker nation called “Plasticity.” The crosslinking process unites rubber chains into a closer and stronger nation called “Elasticity,” where resilience, flexibility and strength define the true character of rubber. Key components of the reaction S vulcanizing involves two main components: cure pack and polymer molecules. The cure pack basically involves an accelerator, activator and crosslinking agent(s).
A crosslinking agent is the basic raw material that forms the crosslinks within polymeric chains. The accelerator of the specific system enables increasing the CRI (curing rate index) of the system, which helps to increase the crosslink formation efficiency. The activator is responsible for the activation of the accelerator to contribute to crosslink formation. The main polymer molecule is cis-1,4-polyisoprene, which is the core contributor to the crosslinking process.