WO2020127055A1

WO2020127055A1 - Vulcanization method and vulcanization device

Info

Publication number: WO2020127055A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/085356
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bengt Schmidt
Original assignee: KraussMaffei Extrusion GmbH
Priority date: 2018-12-19
Filing date: 2019-12-16
Publication date: 2020-06-25
Also published as: DE102018010041B4; DE102018010041A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a vulcanization method for vulcanizing rubber (130), comprising: heating a material (120) to its boiling point and, as a result, forming vapor (125) above the material (120), which comprises the material (120) in its gas phase; introducing rubber (130), the temperature of which being smaller than the temperature of the steam (125), into the steam (125), whereby the steam (125) condenses on the rubber (130) and thus heats the rubber (130) to a vulcanization temperature; and vulcanizing the rubber (130) with the vulcanization temperature.

Description

description

Vulcanization process and device

The present invention relates to a vulcanization process and a vulcanization device, in particular for vulcanizing rubber elements produced or shaped in extrusion processes.

In processes for producing rubber elements by means of extrusion, a plastically deformable rubber or a plastically deformable mass containing rubber (hereinafter also referred to simply as “rubber” for the sake of simplicity) is brought into a desired shape by an extruder. The rubber element thus produced / shaped is then converted into a rubber element with elastic properties by means of vulcanization. All common processes can be used for vulcanization, such as sulfur vulcanization or vulcanization using peroxides or metal oxides. Of course, the rubber must contain the components necessary for vulcanization, e.g. Sulfur to be enriched. If “rubber” to be vulcanized is mentioned below, this enrichment is always required.

The temperature required for the vulcanization is usually generated by means of an infrared oven or via microwave radiation. It is also possible to immerse the rubber elements produced for the vulcanization in a salt bath at a sufficiently high temperature.

However, this results in the difficulty of supplying heat to the rubber elements in a controlled manner. On the one hand, regulation to a certain temperature can be difficult, for example when using heated salt baths, ie the temperature of the system used as the heat reservoir for the heating cannot be set with sufficient accuracy. To the however, it can also be difficult for others to provide the rubber element with the same amount of heat at all points in order to heat it to the same temperature everywhere. For example, in the case of radiant heating such as infrared heating, shadowing can occur due to projections of the rubber element, which prevents a region of the rubber element lying in the shade from being heated to the same temperature as a part of the rubber element which casts a shadow.

This results in an uneven temperature distribution within the rubber element, which can prevent an even conversion of the rubber into rubber. This can result not only in foaming, but also in different elastic properties of the finished rubber element. The quality of rubber components is therefore reduced by a spatially inconsistent temperature input during vulcanization. This is particularly disadvantageous in the case of rubber elements with a thin wall thickness, which are typically produced by means of extrusion, such as for rubber lips such as those used for windshield wipers or for treads for the manufacture of tires.

The object of the present invention is to provide a vulcanization method or a vulcanization device with which the above-mentioned problems can be alleviated or eliminated. In particular, the task is to enable rubber to be vulcanized spatially uniformly at a certain temperature. This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

A vulcanization process for vulcanizing rubber may include: heating a material to its boiling point and thereby forming vapor over the material that has the material in its gas phase; Introducing rubber, the temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the steam, into the steam, whereby the steam condenses on the rubber and the rubber hereby heated to a vulcanization temperature; and vulcanizing the rubber at the vulcanization temperature.

In such a vulcanization process, the basic physical principles of phase transitions are used for heating the rubber to be vulcanized. If part of a material changes into the gas phase through boiling, the temperature of the resulting steam (in addition to the ambient conditions) essentially depends on the boiling temperature of the material. After the boiling temperature has been reached, the heat input into the material does not lead to any further heating of the material beyond the boiling temperature, but only to an increasing evaporation of the material. The vapor forming over the material is not further heated by the increasing evaporation, so that the temperature of the steam only depends on the boiling point of the material and the ambient conditions (temperature, total pressure, vapor pressure of the surrounding gases). The temperature of the steam can thus be set precisely with a suitable choice of material and ambient conditions.

On the other hand, the heat transfer taking place on the surface of the rubber by means of condensation of the steam ensures that the rubber can be brought to the temperature of the surrounding steam at most. During the transition from the gas phase to the liquid phase, the steam releases heat to the rubber. If the rubber reaches the temperature of the steam due to this heat transfer, however, no more condensation can take place, i.e. the heat transfer is ended.

By introducing it into the vapor phase, a rubber element can therefore be brought to a certain vulcanization temperature. In addition, the condensation of the steam on the rubber takes place at all points on the surface of the rubber, for example also in narrow openings. The temperature of the rubber element is thus brought from its surface evenly to the vulcanization temperature from all sides and thereby the Conversion of rubber into rubber started by the vulcanization components contained in the rubber, such as sulfur. It is thus possible to vulcanize the rubber homogeneously and at a temperature which can be determined by the choice of the heated material. This increases the quality of the rubber elements produced.

Appropriate placement of the rubber over the boiling material can also ensure that the material condensed on the rubber returns to its starting position, e.g. by dripping or flowing down from the rubber back onto the material. This reduces the consumption of the material used for heat transfer.

Optionally, it is also possible to further heat the rubber after complete vulcanization by external means, such as infrared radiation, in order to achieve a complete evaporation of the condensed material. When introduced into appropriately cooled zones, the inherent heat of the rubber, which is absorbed during vulcanization, can also be sufficient for this. The steam generated in this way can then be trapped, which can also reduce the consumption of the material due to carryover.

The material to be heated can be a, preferably chemically inert and electrically non-conductive, liquid, the vapor of which is heavier than air. The use of a liquid as the material to be heated allows the material to be transported more easily, e.g. in pipelines. In addition, a liquid e.g. can be heated comparatively easily and homogeneously by using heating coils or the like immersed in the liquid.

When using a chemically inert and electrically non-conductive liquid, the safety during processing and working with the liquid is increased. The liquid can also have a high thermal conductivity and / or emit a large amount of heat during the phase transition from gaseous to liquid. This simplifies the heating of the rubber. If the liquid is heavier than air, the steam forms a “steam bell” over the liquid even without external intervention. This can only consist of evaporated liquid. The temperature of the steam is then the boiling point. In this way, an inert gas phase can be generated around the rubber, which in particular can be free of oxygen. This makes it possible to apply the process to vulcanization processes which have to be carried out in the absence of oxygen. Since this is typically achieved through the complex use of salt baths, the present process considerably simplifies the process control.

The liquid can be heated in an upwardly open vessel and the vapor can form in a work area above the liquid and be cooled at the edges of the work area by cooling devices. The vapor condenses to flow back into the vessel in the liquid state. The rubber is brought into the work area for vulcanization.

Such a structure prevents liquid from being lost due to horizontal migration of the steam, since the steam is previously condensed on the cooling devices and returned to the liquid reservoir in the vessel. At the same time, however, the introduction of the rubber into the steam zone or the work area is facilitated, since no closed housing is required to keep the steam zone. Instead, the rubber can be brought into and out of the work area through gaps between the cooling devices. Excessive loss of fluid is thus avoided with a simple structure.

The liquid can be or have perfluoropolyether, PFPE. The boiling point of the liquid can be between 100 ° C, 120 ° C, 150 ° C, 165 ° C or 180 ° C and 240 ° C, 260 ° C, 280 ° C or 300 ° C. PFPE is characterized by the fact that it is inert and has a boiling temperature that is in one wide temperature range can be set freely, e.g. by adding substances. Correspondingly set PFPE is available, for example, under the brand names "Galden", "Fomblin" from the company "Solvay" or under "Krytox" from the company "Chemours". The temperature required for the vulcanization can therefore be selected in a simple manner by using PFPE. In addition, due to its physical properties, PFPE enables the formation of a pure vapor phase without the addition of other gases. This creates an inert vulcanization atmosphere.

The temperature of the steam can be the boiling point of the material and the rubber can be heated to the boiling point of the material by the condensation of the steam. By forming a sufficiently large “steam bell” or by using the correct material to be heated, the steam can consist at least in a certain area only of the evaporated material and have exactly the boiling temperature of the material. If the rubber is brought into this area, it also assumes the boiling point of the liquid. The selection or adjustment of the liquid to a certain boiling temperature therefore makes it possible to determine a certain vulcanization temperature.

The rubber can be transported through the steam on a conveying device which enables the steam to come into contact with the rubber on all sides, preferably on a grid or via spaced rollers. Such conveyance of the rubber by the steam enables steam to condense on a sufficiently large part of the surface of the rubber or even on the entire surface. This allows the rubber to be pulled through the steam in the assembly line process and thereby vulcanized. This enables a continuous vulcanization of a series of rubber elements or a rubber endless strand at a homogeneous temperature limited from above. In particular, it is possible to vulcanize rubber both in the continuous process and in the manufacture of individual pieces. If you design the vessel in which the material is evaporated sufficiently long or large, for example as a long channel with a length of, for example, 2 m, 5 m, 10 m, 20 m, 30 m or more, rubber elements or a rubber can be used - Continuously run the continuous strand through the steam for a sufficient time to fully vulcanize it. On the other hand, if space is limited, it is also possible to introduce the rubber to be vulcanized into a sufficiently large volume of steam for a sufficiently long time, to remove it after complete vulcanization and to replace it with a new rubber element.

The rubber may be molded prior to vulcanization using an extrusion process (e.g., as rubber elements or as a rubber endless strand) and the vulcanization process may directly follow the extrusion process. The output of an extrusion device can thus be promoted directly from the extrusion outlet into the vapor phase in order to be vulcanized there to form rubber. This allows high quality rubber elements to be manufactured in a single operation with high efficiency.

Optionally, the rubber can already be preheated in a conventional manner by means of extrusion, e.g. through an infrared oven. This reduces the amount of heat to be absorbed in the vapor phase, which reduces the time in the vapor phase required for vulcanization.

A vulcanization device for vulcanizing rubber may be suitable for carrying out a vulcanization process as described above.

For this purpose, the vulcanization device can have a vessel with the material, heating device (s) for heating the material in the vessel, cooling device (s) for cooling the steam, a return device for returning the material Cooling device (s) cooled and liquefied steam and a conveyor for transporting the rubber through the steam.

The vulcanization device may also include an extrusion device for molding the rubber (e.g. into a rubber element or into a rubber endless strand).

With such vulcanization devices, it is possible to vulcanize rubber reliably and homogeneously at a certain temperature.

Examples of embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the figures. It goes without saying that these configurations are purely exemplary. The present invention is defined solely by the subject matter of the claims. It shows:

1 shows a schematic flow diagram of a vulcanization process;

2 shows a schematic illustration of a vulcanization device;

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of another

Vulcanization device; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of another

Vulcanization device.

A method for vulcanizing rubber will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The term “rubber” is understood here to include any mixture of materials that have a plastically deformable component that solidifies through vulcanization in such a way that it is only elastically deformable. The rubbers mentioned below also include constituents which, under the action of lightning, convert plastic Deformability into elastic deformability. The term "rubber" is intended to encompass all materials produced by vulcanization. Specific examples of rubbers which can be used and the rubbers which can be produced therewith are known from the prior art and therefore do not need to be listed here.

According to the method shown schematically in the flowchart of FIG. 1, a material is heated to its boiling point at S100 in order to evaporate part of the material. This creates a vapor phase over the material.

Typically a liquid is used for the material, e.g. is kept in a heatable vessel. Chemically inert and electrically non-conductive liquids are particularly suitable as liquids, since they can be used with less risk and / or they enable vulcanization in an inert vapor phase with the exclusion of oxygen. In addition, the boiling point of the material or liquid used must be high enough to be used for vulcanization and e.g. have a value between 100 ° C, 120 ° C, 150 ° C, 165 ° C or 180 ° C and 240 ° C, 260 ° C, 280 ° C or 300 ° C. The liquid can e.g. perfluoropolyether, PFPE. However, it is also conceivable to evaporate a solid material directly.

As the material evaporates, a vapor phase forms over the material. This will typically consist of a mixture of the ambient atmosphere and the material vapor. The properties of the vapor phase then depend on the ambient atmosphere, such as air, and the boiling temperature of the material. In addition, the vapor phase is influenced by the physical parameters of the ambient atmosphere such as pressure, temperature and composition. In particular, the temperature of the vapor phase will essentially depend on the boiling temperature of the material, especially in the inner region of the vapor phase, which consists almost exclusively of the vaporized material. Deviations caused by the environment in the temperature from the boiling temperature can be regarded as negligible in a first approximation.

The purity of the steam and thus the equality of the steam temperature and boiling temperature can be improved here by shielding the largest possible area of the steam phase from the ambient atmosphere. This can be done by evaporating the material in an almost closed room, from which the surrounding atmosphere is gradually displaced.

A pure vapor phase can also develop if the material is heavier in its gas phase than the surrounding atmosphere, such as air. The steam initially collects directly above the material and forces the ambient atmosphere upwards and outwards. A sufficiently large volume of pure steam can be formed over the material by sufficiently rapid evaporation while at the same time collecting the steam that is forced outwards by condensation on cooling devices provided for this purpose. This volume can be chosen according to the needs of the vulcanization and almost arbitrarily. For example, it is possible to generate a sufficiently large volume of steam, e.g. over a long channel or the like, rubber, for example as a strand, in continuous production through the steam. With smaller steam volumes, individual rubber elements can be introduced and removed one after the other into the steam.

A rubber or a rubber element to be vulcanized is then introduced into the steam at S110. This can also include placing a series of rubber elements in series, e.g. also in continuous production, or the introduction of a rubber endless strand.

The rubber has a temperature that is below the vapor temperature or boiling temperature of the material. This causes the vapor to condense on the surface of the rubber. The heat released in the process is partly due to the Rubber and heats it up. This process continues until the rubber has reached the temperature of the steam. From this point on, the steam no longer condenses, so the rubber is no longer heated.

This enables the rubber to be heated to the temperature of the steam for vulcanization. If the ambient conditions are known or the steam volume is large enough, the vulcanization temperature can therefore be set depending on the boiling point of the material. Preferably the vulcanization temperature corresponds to the boiling temperature, e.g. when the rubber is introduced into the interior of the vapor volume.

The rubber is brought to the vulcanization temperature relatively quickly. The time required for this depends not only on the initial temperature of the rubber when it enters the vapor phase, but also on the mass and / or shape of the rubber element. With very thin rubber elements, such as foils or lips, the vulcanization temperature can be reached within milliseconds or even almost instantaneously. For thick-walled elements, the time required can be a few seconds, e.g. 1 s, 5 s, 10 s, 60 s.

The time required to reach the steam temperature can be reduced by preheating the rubber by other means such as infrared heating or the like.

This makes it possible to continuously convey a series of rubber elements or a rubber endless strand through the steam in order to bring them to the vulcanization temperature. Preferably, the rubber is transported through the steam in such a way that almost its entire surface is in contact with the steam, or contact points of the rubber vary in such a way that the entire surface is in contact with the steam through the transport of the steam. This allows heat to be applied to a sufficient number of points on the surface insert the rubber to allow a homogeneous heating of the rubber.

For this, e.g. Conveyor belts where the rubber elements rest on grids that allow the steam to pass through. Alternatively, the rubber elements can also be conveyed by means of rollers which are at a distance which allows the steam to pass through, but not to drop or deform the rubber elements. However, it goes without saying that any other type of conveying device can also be used which allows sufficient contact between rubber and steam. When using a suitable container for the liquid to be evaporated, rubber can be vulcanized in endless operation by such a conveyance.

At S120, the rubber is vulcanized due to the heating of the rubber. This can be any vulcanization process known in the art, e.g. Sulfur vulcanization or vulcanization using peroxides or metal oxides. Since such processes and the rubber mixtures required for this purpose are known to a person skilled in the art, there is no need to go into them here.

In the process, the rubber elements to be vulcanized can originate from an extrusion process. The rubber elements produced with a typically used extrusion device are then fed directly to the vulcanization via a conveyor device, e.g. as an endless component not yet separated into individual components. This allows extruded rubber elements to be produced in one operation.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of a vulcanization device 100 with which the method described above can be carried out.

The vulcanization device 100 has a vessel 110 which is filled with the material 120 to be evaporated, here a liquid. The dimensioning The vessel 110 is arbitrary and depends on the volume of steam that is to be achieved or on the size of the rubber / rubber element 130 to be vulcanized or the manufacturing technology used (continuous production or single-piece vulcanization).

The vessel 1 10 can e.g. is a bowl or kettle filled with liquid. The vessel 1 10 can also be a long channel or a long trough with a length of e.g. 2 m, 5 m, 10 m, 20 m, 30 m or more. It should be noted that FIG. 2 is purely schematic and serves only for the purpose of illustration. Actual dimensions cannot be derived from FIG. 2.

The material 120 is heated in the vessel 110 to its boiling temperature by means of pickling devices, not shown. Any means which heat the vessel 110 and / or the material 120, such as e.g. electric mordants or plates, inductive pickling or radiant heating.

The material 120 can e.g. is a liquid whose boiling point is in the range between 100 ° C to 300 ° C, for example at 120 °, 150 ° C, 175 ° C, 200 ° C, 220 ° C, 245 ° C, 270 ° C or 290 ° C. For example, PFPE can be used as the material.

The evaporating material 120 forms an area filled with steam 125 above the material 120. A zone forms within the steam 125, in which the temperature of the steam is essentially, ie in a first approximation, determined by the boiling temperature of the material 120. For example, in an almost pure vapor phase, which consists almost exclusively of the vaporized material 120, the vapor temperature can be equal to the boiling temperature. Especially when using a liquid as material 120, the vapor 125 of which is heavier than the ambient atmosphere, such as air, the vapor 125 displaces any other gas from the surface of the liquid. A pure vapor phase then arises, the temperature of which is equal to the boiling point of the liquid. Is If the liquid or vapor 125 is also chemically inert, the vulcanization process can also be used for vulcanization with the exclusion of oxygen.

Rubber 130 is introduced into such a zone of steam 125 by a conveyor device 140. 2, the conveyor 140 is shown as a series of spaced rollers that transport the rubber 130 from right to left by rotation along the arrow. As a result, each area of the surface of the rubber 130 comes into contact with the steam 125, so that the heat transfer described above takes place by condensation of the steam 125 on the rubber surface evenly distributed over the surface. This enables a homogeneous temperature increase of the rubber 130 and thus a homogeneous vulcanization.

However, any other conveying device 140 can also be used which enables a sufficiently homogeneous vulcanization. For example, the rubber 130 can also be transported lying on a grid into the steam 125, which is designed in such a way that contact surfaces are small against the surfaces of the rubber 130 that are accessible against the steam contact. Here, too, the steam 125 can condense at almost all locations of the rubber 130 . In the continuous production, the dimensioning of the vessel 110 must ensure that the rubber 130 runs through the steam 125 until it is fully vulcanized.

For non-assembly line operations, such as one-offs, the rubber 130 can be introduced into the steam 125 in other ways, e.g. by swiveling in a support plate with the rubber 130 by means of an arm provided for this purpose.

The rubber 130 remains in the steam 125 for a sufficiently long time to condense the steam 125 on the rubber 130 to bring it to the temperature of the steam 125, which preferably corresponds to the boiling temperature of the material 120. As described above, due to the underlying physical principle for the heat transfer also a residence time above the minimum time for reaching this temperature does not lead to a further heating of the rubber 130. Rather, the maximum temperature of the rubber 130 is the steam temperature in a first approximation. By heating the rubber 130, it is vulcanized to rubber and can then be removed from the steam 125 again, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, by moving further on a conveyor device 140 designed as a conveyor belt.

In order to avoid carry-over of the material 120 condensed on the rubber 130, the rubber 130 vulcanized to the rubber can be further heated after being discharged from the steam 125 in order to evaporate the condensed material 120 again and to collect it using suitable devices. The natural heat of the rubber can also be sufficient, in a suitable environment, to at least partially evaporate the condensed material 120 again, e.g. at a sufficiently low ambient temperature or sufficiently low ambient pressure.

By using the vulcanization device 100, rubber elements can thus be vulcanized in a simple manner at a predeterminable temperature. In particular, assembly line-based processing is possible.

An optional cooling device 150 is shown in FIG. 3, which serves to limit the steam 125 to a specific work area. If the vapor 125 spreads far beyond the edges of the vessel 110 with increasing evaporation of the material 120, material 120 can be lost, which leads to cost increases due to excessive need for tracking of the material 120. In principle, this can also be prevented by housing the entire vulcanization device 100 or the steam 125 produced by it, in order to limit the steam to a certain volume. However, this has the disadvantage that the introduction of the rubber 130 into the inner zone of the steam 125 is made more difficult and the installation of additional inlet devices, such as flaps or locks, becomes necessary. The cooling device 150 offers an alternative to this. They generate cooling at the edge of a volume area that can be filled by the steam 125, which ensures that the steam 125 condenses and can be returned to the vessel 110 in a liquid state by means of a return device 160.

As shown schematically in FIG. 3, the cooling device 150 can be an arrangement of cooling coils that surround the steam volume like a cage. The steam 125 then condenses on the cooling coils and either drops directly back into the vessel 110 or is collected and passed into the vessel 110 via the return device 160. The return device 160 is shown schematically in FIG. 3 as an obliquely arranged collar which guides the condensed material 120 into the vessel 110.

The rubber 130 not shown in FIG. 3 for reasons of clarity, as also described with reference to FIG. 2, can be introduced into the steam 125 via the conveying device 140 by gaps in the structure of the cooling device 150 and removed therefrom. This does not affect the ability of the cooling device 150 to limit the steam 125 to a certain working volume, since the temperature gradient required for cooling and thus condensing the steam 125 can also be maintained within the gap provided for the introduction and removal of the rubber 130 if it is not made too large. For example, a conveyor belt can insert or remove the rubber 130 between the cooling coils into the steam 125.

It goes without saying that the cooling device 150 can also take any other form which ensures that a temperature gradient decreases from the working area for vulcanization, which leads to extensive condensation of the steam 125 in a certain area and thus a return of the condensed material 120 back into the vessel 1 10 allowed. This can prevent unnecessary consumption of the material 120 by excessive carryover. Excessive carryover is also prevented by using a material 120 that is heavier in the gaseous state than air, since the vapor 125 then collects near the surface of the material 120. Heating the rubber 130 above the vessel 110 naturally also prevents carry-over, since material 120 condensed on the rubber 130 falls back into the vessel 110.

Further return devices, not shown, can also be arranged along the path of the rubber produced by vulcanization after it has left the vapor phase. These can e.g. be suitable to collect evaporated condensation residues by heating the rubber and to lead them back into the vessel 1 10.

4 schematically shows the vulcanization of rubber elements that were produced in an extrusion device 200. Rubber 130 is output by extrusion device 200 in a certain shape. Alternatively, the extrusion device 200 can create or form a rubber endless strand. The mode of operation of extrusion devices 200 is known in this case and therefore need not be explained further at this point.

In the expansion of the vulcanization device 100, which is shown schematically in FIG Vapor phase introduced, heated there and thus vulcanized. The rubber produced in this way is then conveyed out of the vapor phase for further processing. Although not shown here, the vulcanization device 100 can in this example also have a cooling device 150 and a return device 160, as have been described with reference to FIG. 3. It goes without saying that instead of separate Rubber elements also a coherent rubber strand through which steam 125 can be passed.

In addition, a heating device (not shown) can be arranged between the extrusion outlet and the vapor phase, which brings the rubber to a predetermined temperature which is below the steam temperature or vulcanization temperature. This makes it possible to influence the necessary length of stay in the vapor phase. With the vulcanization device 100 as shown schematically in FIG. 4, rubber elements can be produced as standard by means of extrusion, which meet the highest quality requirements due to the homogeneous heating and the predefinable vulcanization temperature.

Reference list

Vulcanization device

vessel

material

steam

rubber

Conveyor

Cooler

Return device

Extrusion device

Claims

Expectations

A vulcanization process for vulcanizing rubber (130), comprising:

Heating a material (120) to its boiling point and thereby forming vapor (125) over the material (120) that has the material (120) in its gas phase;

Introducing rubber (130), the temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the steam (125), into the steam (125), whereby the steam (125) on the

Rubber (130) condenses and thereby the rubber (130) on a

Vulcanization temperature heated; and

Vulcanizing the rubber (130) with the vulcanization temperature.

2. The vulcanization process according to claim 1, wherein

the material (120) is a, preferably chemically inert and electrically non-conductive, liquid, the vapor of which is heavier than air.

3. The vulcanization process according to claim 2, wherein

the liquid is heated in an upwardly open vessel (110);

the vapor (125) forms in a work area above the liquid;

the vapor (125) at the edges of the work area is cooled by one or more cooling devices (150) and thereby condensed to be passed back into the vessel (1 10) in the liquid state; and

the rubber (130) is introduced into the work area for vulcanization.

4. Vulcanization process according to one of claims 2 or 3, wherein

the liquid is or has perfluoropolyether, PFPE; and or

the boiling point of the liquid is between 100 ° C, 120 ° C, 150 ° C, 165 ° C or 180 ° C and 240 ° C, 260 ° C, 280 ° C or 300 ° C.

5. Vulcanization process according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

the temperature of the steam (125) is the boiling temperature of the material (120); and

the rubber (130) by the condensation of the steam (125) on the

Boiling temperature of the material (120) is heated.

6. The vulcanization method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rubber (130) is transported on a conveyor (140) through the steam (125), which enables all-round contact of the steam (125) with the rubber (130), preferably on one Grid or over spaced rollers.

7. Vulcanization process according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

the rubber (130) was molded or extruded by means of an extrusion process prior to vulcanization and the vulcanization process is directly connected to the extrusion process.

8. Vulcanization device (100) for vulcanizing rubber (130), which is suitable for carrying out a vulcanization method according to one of the preceding claims.

9. A vulcanization device (100) according to claim 8 comprising

a vessel (1 10) with the material (120);

one or more heaters for heating the material (120) in the vessel (1 10);

one or more cooling devices (150) for cooling the steam (125); a return device (160) for returning the vapor (125) cooled and liquefied by the one or more cooling devices (150); and a conveyor (140) for transporting the rubber (130) through the steam (125).

10. Vulcanization device (100) according to one of claims 8 or 9, comprising an extrusion device (200) for molding or extruding the rubber

(130).