Definition Of Oxygen Aging Of Rubber Products

Oxygen can oxidatively break the rubber molecular chain and destroy the cross-linked structure of the rubber molecule. The aging reaction of oxygen to rubber is firstly that under the influence of thermal factors, oxygen reacts at the double bond of the rubber molecule and its vicinity to form peroxide. The peroxide then decomposes into the oxide of the rubber, and at the same time releases active oxygen, causing the rubber molecule to break. The active oxygen combines with other rubber molecules to re-form peroxides, and the chain reaction goes on and on. Due to this reaction, the molecular chain of the rubber is broken and degraded, making the rubber sticky and soft. In addition, during the oxidation process, the rubber molecules will also generate active groups, which will cause the rubber molecules to cross-link. The above-mentioned degradation and cross-linking will occur during the entire oxidation process, but some rubbers are dominated by chain scission, while others are dominated by cross-linking, which mainly depends on the type of rubber. Other factors that catalyze the oxidation reaction of rubber include heat, ultraviolet rays, heavy metal ions and mechanical stress.