Rubber Accelerators

Technological behaviour of a new ‘nitrosamine safe’ thiuram disulfide in natural rubber

Abstract
Thiuram class of ultra accelerators are widely used in the rubber industry to obtain high rate of cure and high cross-link densities in sulfur vulcanised rubbers. They are commonly used either as sulfur donors for heat resistance applications or as secondary accelerators in conjunction with sulfenamides. However, conventional thiurams have undesirable drawbacks due to their inherent toxicity and their ability to form regulated carcinogenic N-nitrosamines. The paper describes the technological behaviour of a new nitrosamine safe thiuram disulfide, tetraisononylthiuramdisulfide (TINTD), which has been derived from a safer secondary amine, di(3,5,5-trimethylhexyl) amine. It demonstrates the curing efficiency of TINTD, as a primary and secondary accelerator and also as a sulfur donor in black filled natural rubber. The unique features of TINTD and its vulcanisation breakdown product makes this thiuram disulfide highly attractive for use in soluble efficient vulcanisation systems and its use is described. The paper also discloses the accelerator action of TINTD in high ammonia natural rubber latex.

Ranvir S Virdi, Boyd W Grover and Fergus R McMahon
Robinson Brothers Limited
United Kingdom

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