Abstract
This paper discusses the role of metal oxides (MeO) in the cross-linking process and useful properties of chloroprene and butadiene rubber (CR/BR) blends. Iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3), iron(II,III) oxide (Fe3O4), silver(I) oxide (Ag2O) or zinc oxide were used. It has found that every proposed metal oxide can be used as a cross-linking agent of the CR/BR blends. The degree of cross-linking was evaluated by means of vulcametric parameters, equilibrium swelling in selected solvents and Mooney–Rivlin elasticity constants. The properties of the cured CR/BR products, such as tensile strength, stress at elongation, tension set under constant elongation and compression set, were also investigated. The results revealed that all CR/BR/MeO vulcanizates were characterized by a high cross-linking degree and satisfying mechanical properties. The most important advantage of obtained rubber goods is very high resistance to flame. The increase in the oxygen index value for the CR/BR/Fe2O3, CR/BR/Fe3O4 and CR/BR/Ag2O vulcanizates compared to the standard cross-linked chloroprene rubber showed that presented metal oxides provided a positive effect on the resistance to flame of the new CR/BR/MeO composites. Satisfactory properties of the studied blends are related to the presence of the interelastomer bonding of both rubbers in the compositions.
Highlights
Chloroprene rubber (CR) is a high-performance material with a wide diversity of applications
We have expected that such cured chloroprene and butadiene rubber (CR/butadiene rubber (BR)) blends will be characterized by a high cross-linking degree, but this parameter will depend on the type of used metal oxide
It follows that every proposed metal oxide can be used as a cross-linking agent of CR/BR blends
Summary
Chloroprene rubber (CR) is a high-performance material with a wide diversity of applications. It is a homopolymer of chloroprene [1, 2]. Chloroprene rubber can be cross-linked with other metal oxides, such as iron(III) oxide, iron(II,III) oxide [6], tin(II) oxide [7], copper(I) oxide or copper(II) oxide [8]. Such obtained CR vulcanizates are often characterized by better mechanical properties than the conventionally crosslinked CR
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