Impact of Composite Preservation System on the Vulcanization Performance of Natural Rubber Latex
摘要
The thioacetamide derivative (TD)-composite preservation system (TDCPS) exhibits superior preservation effects on natural rubber latex (NRL) and significantly enhances its vulcanization efficiency and mechanical properties. This study primarily investigated the principal chemical groups and mechanism of action of TDCPS in promoting NRL vulcanization through a comparative analysis. The results indicated that the key functional groups (thioamide and pyridine) in TDCPS synergistically accelerated crosslinking, reducing the vulcanization time by 41.18% compared to the high-ammonia (HA) preservation system. At an optimal TDCPS dosage of 5 mmol·L−1, vulcanized films achieved a tensile strength of 34.18 MPa, with a sulfur content of 1.5 phr further improving the strength by 42.26%. TD outperformed the conventional accelerators 2-imidazolidinethione (ETU) and 3-hydroxypyridine (3-Hp) in promoting the crosslinking density and mechanical performance while eliminating ammonia-related environmental risks. This eco-friendly system demonstrates the industrial potential for sustainable rubber production.