Robinson Brothers had the pleasure of presenting Robac SRM102, a new safe acclerator for curing polychloroprene at Rubbercon 2014.

Held in Manchester, Rubbercon - organised by the Institute of Materials - is one of the key dates on the calendar and Robac exhibited at the event for the first time. Each incarnation of the conference seeks to address the key issues within the industry, looking at the needs and aspirations of stakeholders.

In recent years, one of the most prominent factors has been the desire to find a viable alternative for ETU, which has been classified as a CMR (Carcinogenic/Mutagenic/Toxic for Reproduction) substance under the REACH regulation and was added to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in December 2013. This means the accelerator and products using it may soon be subjected to restrictions across Europe and elsewhere.

Having begun the search for an alternative to ETU in 2007, Robinson Brothers was the recipient of European Union funding under the prestigious Framework 7 programme, a highly-competitive pool of finance only awarded to projects that will provide a "European added value".

As part of its research, Robinson Brothers utilised its long-established relationship with local academic institutions to sponsor two PHD students from Aston University.

Dr Keith Berry was one of these and his studies and his studies into the mechanisms of how ETU works during polychloroprene vulcanisation facilitated the development of Robac SRM102 and it was these findings that were presented to the 260 delegates in attendance at Rubbercon 2014.

His research was well received by peers at Rubbercon and has further supported the demand for Robac SRM102, which will officially be launched in the coming weeks.

In the lead up to Rubbercon, the Robac team also hosted an event in Manchester at which members of its global distribution network discussed developments in rubber vulcanisation over the last five years.

Representatives from partners in China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea attended the conference, along with European delegates. In addition to strengthening links with these partners, the event allowed Robinson Brothers to discuss the launch of Robac SRM102, generating significant interest.

In addition to the safety benefits over ETU, industrial validation trials have proven the new accelerator to have equal or better curing characteristics and the proportion of Robac SRM102 required in formulas for end users is equivalent to that of ETU, as well as being a more cost-effective option than current alternatives. To find out more about the Robac Technology portfolio, contact [email protected]