Vulcanization Vulcanization Vulcanization (British: vulcanisation) is a chemical process used to harden rubber. Vulcanization traditionally referred to the treatment of natural rubber with sulfur and this remains the most common example, however the term has also grown to include the hardening of other (synthetic) rubbers via various means. Examples include silicone rubber via room temperature vulcanizing and chloroprene rubber (neoprene) using metal oxides. Vulcanisation can therefore be defined as the curing of elastomers; with the terms 'vulcanization' and 'curing' sometimes used interchangeably in this context. It works by forming cross-links between sections of polymer chain which results in increased rigidity and
Foam rubber as being “Lightweight, buoyant, cushioning performance, thermal and acoustic insulation, impact damping and cost reduction”. Crosslinking technology is used in the formation of EVA based foams, including LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE, PP, and TPE. Crosslinking is the most important characteristic in the production of foam rubber to obtain the best possible foam expansion and physical properties. Crosslinking is defined as chemical bonding between polymer chains, and is used for foam rubber manufacturing to stabilize bubble expansion, enhanced resistance to thermal collapse and improve physical properties. Due to the variety in polyurethane chemistries, it is difficult to recycle foam materials using a