The Effect of Cure Conditions on the Strength of Ebonite Rubber Network

Abstract

Abstract Although ebonite has been discovered for a long time, its applications were still limited to some household products. Recently, ebonite rubber has become of interest, especially for structural applications due to its high and adjustable strength and rigidity. The rigidity can be enhanced by several folds by utilizing appropriate curing conditions. In this study, we investigate the effect of curing conditions on the mechanical properties of ebonite at various cure time. Here, the crosslink densities were determined qualitatively both before and after compression cycles to investigate the change in crosslink networks. After the pre-molding stage, the curing process was either continued in the compression mold, in the air-oven, or under nitrogen atmosphere. For the compression-mold and nitrogen-atmosphere curing, crosslink densities and the compressive moduli increased significantly with cure time, whereas, for air-oven curing, only slight increases in the afro-mentioned properties were observed. After completing four compression cycles, the crosslink density and mechanical properties remain high only when curing was done in the compression mold. Therefore, curing under pressure as in the compression mold for a prolonged time could be a mean in boosting the mechanical properties of ebonite.