Lanxess advances “universal” rubber accelerator

Cologne, Germany –  Lanxess has developed a “universally suitable” vulcanisation accelerator for tires and technical rubber goods, the company recently announced. 

Trial product VP Vulkacit TZ is a sulfenamide based on aromatic amines and suitable for all types of rubber, according to the speciality chemicals maker.

The accelerator is also said to give uniform results – even for multi-layered or complex-shaped items – and “sufficient time” for full curing, even at high temperatures.

Industrial customers are being invited to trial samples, which Lanxess is producing on a pilot-scale, said Dr. Jens-Hendrik Fischer, responsible for its global antioxidants and accelerators business. 

The trial product has a long scorch time with no premature onset of vulcanisation in the mixing process, said Melanie Wiedemeier-Jarad, technical service manager at Lanxess’ antioxidants & accelerators unit. 

“This particular property of our VP Vulkacit trial product ensures a smooth production process and homogeneous cross-linking, which means that the structure can cure evenly,” she stated.

For all mixtures produced using a sulfenamide vulcanisation accelerator, the cure times tend to be short in relation to the scorch times, the Lanxess statement continued.

This, it said, makes this group of accelerators “suitable not only for press heating, but also for injection and transfer moulding processes, which are used primarily for complex geometries.”