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
Rubber toughening systems. Rubber particles toughen a system by a variety of mechanisms such as when particulates concentrate stress causing cavitation or initiation of dissipating crazes. However the effects are not one-sided; excess rubber content or debonding between the rubber and polymer can reduce toughness. It is not possible to state the specific effects of a given particle size and interfacial adhesion parameter due to numerous other confounding variables. The presence of a given failure mechanism is determined by many factors: those intrinsic to the continuous polymer phase, and those that are extrinsic, pertaining to the stress, loading speed, and ambient conditions.