Sulfur vulcanization Sulfur vulcanization Sulfur vulcanization or sulfur vulcanisation is a chemical process for converting natural rubber or related polymers into more durable materials by heating them with sulfur or other equivalent curatives or accelerators. Sulfur forms cross-links (bridges) between sections of polymer chain which results in increased rigidity and durability, as well as other changes in the mechanical and electronic properties of the material. A vast array of products are made with vulcanized rubber, including tires, shoe soles, hoses, and conveyor belts. The term is derived from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. The main polymers subjected to sulfur vulcanization are
Ethylene propylene rubber aprotic. Amorphous forms of EPM are flexible at low temperatures (with glass transition points around -60 °C). Via selection of certain sulfur compounds EPM can remain heat resistant up to 130 °C and up to 160 °C with peroxide curing. These two tables contain some of the main properties of EPM. EPM has a large number of uses due to the many ways in which the polymer can be designed, for example; it is used in automotive weather-stripping and seals, self-amalgamating tape, glass run channels, radiators, garden and appliance hoses, tubing, belts, roofing membranes, expansion joints, rubber mechanical goods, plastic