Topic > Analysis of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Rubbers - 977

The dienes currently used in the production of EPDM rubbers are dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), vinyl norbornene (VNB), and ethylidene norbornene (ENB). EPDM rubber is a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene, and diene components and is closely related to ethylene-propylene rubber, a copolymer of ethylene and propylene [34]. EPDMs are exceptional materials resistant to heat, ozone and atmospheric agents. The resistance to polar substances and vapor is good and it also has excellent electrical insulation properties. It also has good resistance to ketones, ordinary diluted acids and alkalis. EPDM rubbers are made by polymerizing ethylene and propylene with approximately 3–8% of a diene monomer to provide a cross-linking site for rapid vulcanization with sulfur. EPDMs are available in a range of molecular weights and with different levels of ethylene and oil content. EPDM can be composed to meet specific properties up to a certain limit, depending on the processing and curing method employed. EPDM rubbers differ significantly from diene hydrocarbon rubbers as the level of unsaturation in the former is much lower, therefore offering much better resistances to heat, oxygen and ozone. Dienes commonly used in EPDM rubbers include dicyclopentadiene, ethylidene norbornene, and hexa-1,4-diene