The effect of the type of accelerator on the vulcanization process of nitrile rubber compounds with two acrilonitrile amounts was investigated. Two commercial accelerators benzothiazole (MBTS) and zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate (ZDMC), from different chemical groups, thiazole and dithiocarbamate, respectively, were selected and compared with the compound bis (4 methylphenylsulfonyldithiocarbimato-)zincate (II) of tetrabutylammoniun (ZNIBU). The results show that the type of accelerator not only affects the cure characteristics, but also has great influence on the physical properties. Among the accelerators studied, MBTS was found to be the least adequate for the formulation used as far as rheometric parameters are concerned. Surprisingly, it was found that ZNIBU showed an intermediate behavior, being more efficient than MBTS but not as much as ZDMC, considered an ultra accelerator, as for the optimum cure time.
Dithiocarbimates; zinc complexes; nitrile rubber; vulcanization
