Relationships between Chemical Structures of Crosslink Sites and Physical Properties of Vulcanized Rubbers. Part V. Analysis of Chemical Structures of Combined Sulfur in Crosslink Sites for Various EPDM Vulcanizates
Abstract Various EPDM vulcanizates with different chemical structures of crosslink sites, such as C—C, C—R—C and C—Sz—C linkage, were obtained by using a variety of curing agents. C—Sz—C linkage was separated into polysulfide linkage and monosulfide linkage by using the LiAlH4 method which was confirmed beforehand with model compounds. The relationships between the chemical structure of combined sulfur in the crosslink sites and the type of curing agents used were clarified. For example, the mole ratios of polysulfide linkage to all the combined sulfurs in the vulcanizates by using DCP—S8, TMTD, S8—TMTD and S8-zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate curing system were respectively 0.35, 0.25, 0.53 and 0.82 at 160° C for 45 minutes. But in DCP—S8 curing system considerable C—C linkages seemed to be formed in addition to the C—Sz—C linkage.