Crosslinking
of rubber and polyolefines with organic peroxides
Chemical crosslinking agents such as sulphur and organic peroxides are able to link polymer chains creating a three-dimensional network. This crosslinking reaction changes several material characteristics. The material characteristics of a crosslinked polymer are superior to the equivalent characteristics of the sulphur cured polymers.
Important criteria for selecting a suitable crosslinking peroxide are processing and crosslinking temperature. Peroxide crosslinking of elastomers has the following advantages over the sulphur cure:
• simple formulation • long storage time of the peroxide containing compound without scorching • high processing temperature • rapid vulcanization without reversion • high temperature resistance of final product