Effects of accelerator type on stress relaxation behavior and network structure of aged natural rubber/chloroprene rubber vulcanizates

Natural rubber/chloroprene rubber (NR/CR) blends are among the commonly used rubber blends in industry and continuously are exposed to severe weather changes. To investigate the effects of accelerator type on the network structure and stress relaxation of unaged and aged NR/CE vulcanizates, tetramethyl thiuram disulfide, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and diphenyl guanidine accelerators have been chosen to represent fast, moderate, and slow accelerator groups, respectively. Three batches have been prepared with exactly the same components and mixing conditions differing only in accelerator type. Temperatures scanning stress relaxation and pulse nuclear magnetic resonance techniques have been used to reveal the structural changes of differently accelerated rubber blends before and after weathering. Nonoxidative thermal decomposition analyses have been carried out using a thermogravimetric analyzer. Results indicate that there is a strong interdependence between accelerator type and stress relaxation behavior, network structure, cross-linking density, and aging behavior of the blends. Accelerator type also affects decomposition energy of the blends.