The objective of this study is to determine how attributes of accelerators impact various aspects of cure-activation energy, cure rate, cure time and other properties. Six different main accelerators were utilized, all in conjunction with TMTD and the rubber maker’s sulfur in an efficient cure system and evaluated using Alpha Technologies’ Premier Rubber Process Analyzer and Enterprise software.
The SBR compound was chosen due to its simplicity and use in a variety of applications, including conveyor belts. The pH and amine type had the greatest effect on cure rate. Impacts of accelerators on measured properties also were examined, including crosslink density, original physical properties, heat aging and compression set.
Correlating the various measured components of the Arrhenius model, such as activation energy to physical properties, introduces the possibility of a useful tool when compounding materials.