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
Silicone rubber cured by a platinum-catalyzed cure system, a condensation cure system, a peroxide cure system, or an oxime cure system. For the platinum-catalyzed cure system, the curing process can be accelerated by adding heat or pressure. In a platinum-based silicone cure system, also called an "addition" system (because the key reaction-building polymer is an "Addition reaction"), two different chemical groups (a silicone hydride and a vinyl) react in the presence of platinum (which serves as the catalyst). In this reaction, an ethyl group [C(H2)- C(H2)] is formed and there are no byproducts. Two separate components must be mixed to catalyze the