Sulfur vulcanization are merely the additives used for vulcanisation and that other compounds may also be added to the rubber such as fillers or polymer stabilizers. Ordinary sulfur (octasulfur) is rarely used despite its low cost. Because of the low melting point of S vs the cure temperatures, attempted vulcanization with ordinary results in sulfur bloom. Instead, various forms of polymeric sulfur are used instead. It is also possible to replace sulfur with other sulfur-donating compounds, for example accelerators bearing disulphide groups, in what is often termed 'efficient vulcanization' (EV). Disulfur dichloride may also be used for 'cold vulcanization'. Under normal circumstances,
Rubber toughening changes. For impact strength testing on PMMA where failure occurs by shear-yielding, the optimum size of filler PBA-core PMMA-shell particle was shown in one case to be 250 nm. In the three-point bend test, where failure is due to crazing, 2000 nm particles had the most significant toughening effect. Temperature has a direct effect on the fracture mechanics. At low temperatures, below the glass transition temperature of the rubber, the dispersed phase behaves like a glass rather than like a rubber that toughens the polymer. As a result, the continuous phase will fail by mechanisms characteristic of the pure polymer,