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 The action of a given mechanism in a toughened polymer can be studied with microscopy. The addition of rubbery domains occurs via processes such as melt blending in a Rheomix mixer and atom-transfer radical-polymerization. Current research focuses on how optimizing the secondary phase composition and dispersion affects mechanical properties of the blend. Questions of interest include those to do with fracture toughness, tensile strength, and glass transition temperature. Different theories describe how a dispersed rubber phase toughens a polymeric substance; most employ methods of dissipating energy throughout the matrix. These theories include: microcrack theory, shear-yielding theory, multiple-crazing theory, shear band