Influence of Vulcanization on Adhesion to Non-Vulcanizing Polymers

Abstract

Abstract According to contemporary ideas the mechanisms of adhesion and co-vulcanization of rubbers have much in common. The phenomenon of co-vulcanization, like that of adhesion of polymers, includes the diffusion of macromolecules and of segments of them, which is particularly intensive in the initial period of vulcanization, when the crosslinks have not yet formed. The difference between covulcanization and adhesion lies solely in the fact that the process of interpenetration of the molecular chains in the former case is sooner or later broken off by the vulcanization process being superimposed upon it, securing the macromolecules or portions of them by strong chemical bonds. This leads to the formation of an adhesion joint considerably superior in strength to a joint in which the molecules diffusing through are attached only by weak intermolecular bonds. It is important to ascertain what is the influence of the vulcanization of elastomers upon their adhesion to polymers not capable of forming chemical bonds with them. This case is of immense practical importance, since unvulcanized rubbers are very often used in combination with vegetable and synthetic fibers which are not capable of vulcanizing. As adhesives we selected elastomers of varying molecular structure, polarity and degree of molecular mobility: butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber (SKN-26), butadiene-styrene rubber (SKS-30A), butadiene-styrene oil-extended rubber (SKS-30ARM-15) and butyl rubber. Using these rubbers we prepared stocks both containing and not containing vulcanizing groups (in the latter case the components of the vulcanizing groups were replaced by an equal quantity of inert filler—whiting). The amount of vulcanizing group was set at the optimum for each rubber. The substrates used were films containing no plasticizers—cellophane (cellulose hydrate) and Perfol' PK-4 (polycaprolactam). The adhesive was applied to the substrate by coating on a calender at the optimum conditions for each elastomer. The specimens produced in this way were plied up and subjected to vulcanization. Vulcanization was carried out in a Berstorff apparatus for continuous vulcanization at 143° C and a specific pressure ≈ 0.85 kg/sq cm. The time of cure was varied between 0 and 88 min.