GB652401A - Manufacture of novel rubber products - Google Patents

Abstract

Styrene or its alkyl or halogen nuclear substitution derivatives, e.g. methyl-styrene and mono- or di-chlorostyrene, is p copolymerized with a lesser amount of a hydrocarbon having conjugated double bonds or a halogen derivative thereof, e.g. butadiene, isoprene, dimethyl butadiene or chloroprene, in an aqueous rubber dispersion. The dispersion, which may be a natural rubber, gutta percha or balata latex, or an artificial dispersion of raw or unclaimed rubber, or a synthetic rubber polymer or copolymer of a hydrocarbon or chlorinated hydrocarbon containing conjugated double bonds, may be added at once, or portion-wise, to an agitated mixture of the monomers. The emulsion may contain emulsifying agents, e.g. sodium oleate or a water-soluble salt of a long chain alkyl sulphonic acid or of a sulphonated or sulphated long chain aliphatic alcohol; catalysts, e.g. an ammonium or alkali-metal persulphate or perborate, hydrogen or benzoyl peroxide, cumene, t-butyl, a ,a -dimethylbenzyl or cyclohexanone hydroperoxide; reducing agents, e.g. sodium sulphite, hydrosulphite or thiosulphate with or without dextrose; promotors, e.g. ferrous sulphate, pyrophosphate, sodium pyrophosphate or copper sulphate; stabilizers, e.g. gelatin, casein, glue or polyvinyl alcohol; surface tension regulators, e.g. an aliphatic alcohol containing 5-8 carbon atoms; and buffering agents. The latex may be used for the preparation of dipped goods, sponge products or for textile impregnation, or may be concentrated by creaming, coagulated, washed, dried and milled with a stabilizer, e.g. phenyl-b -naphthylamine, to a flexible sheet soluble in carbon disulphide, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, benzene and petroleum hydrocarbons. The products may be vulcanized with sulphur, mercaptobenzthiazole, diphenylguanidine, zinc oxide, and stearic acid and used for soles, tiles, sheets or battery cases or may be milled with raw rubber and vulcanized.ALSO:A process for the production of rubber products comprises copolymerizing in an aqueous medium containing rubber dispersed therein (1) styrene or its alkyl or halogen substitution derivatives, e.g. methyl-styrene, mono- or di-chlorostyrene with (2) a lesser amount of a hydrocarbon having conjugated double bonds or a halogen substitution derivative thereof, e.g. butadiene, isoprene, dimethyl butadiene or chloroprene. The dispersion which may be a natural rubber, guttapercha or balata latex; or an artificial dispersion of raw or unclaimed rubber, or a synthetic rubber polymer or copolymer of a hydrocarbon or chlorinated hydrocarbon containing conjugated double bonds, may be added at once, or portionwise, to an agitated mixture of the monomers. The emulsion may contain emulsifying agents, e.g. sodium oleate or a water-soluble salt of a long chain alkyl sulphonic acid or of a sulphonated or sulphated long chain aliphatic alcohol; catalysts, e.g. an ammonium or alkali-metal persulphate or perborate, hydrogen or benzoyl peroxide cumene, t-butyl, a ,a -dimethylbenzyl or cyclohexanone hydroperoxide; reducing agents, e.g. sodium sulphite, hydrosulphite, or thiosulphite with or without dextrose; promotors, e.g. ferrous sulphate or pyrophosphate or sodium pyrophosphate or copper sulphate; stabilizers, e.g. gelatin, casein, glue, or polyvinyl alcohol; surface tension regulators, e.g. an aliphatic alcohol containing 5-8 carbon atoms; and buffering agents. The latex may be used for the preparation of dipped goods, sponge products or for textile impregnation, or may be concentrated by creaming, coagulated, washed, dried and milled with a stabilizer, e.g. phenyl-b -naphthylamine to a flexible sheet soluble in carbon-disulphide, carbon-tetrachloride, chloroform, benzene and petroleum hydrocarbons. The products may be vulcanized with sulphur, mercapto-benzthiazole, diphenylguanidine, zinc oxide and stearic acid and used for soles, tiles, sheets or battery cases, or may be milled with raw rubber and vulcanized.