The zinc oxide used in rubber is essential for the vulcanization. How does zinc oxide work in this process? This article will allow you to know more about it.

Act as Activator

To start, you need to know about vulcanization in rubber manufacturing. As many sources mentioned, this step affects the overall quality of rubber products.

Vulcanization refers to the chemical process. This process improves rubber characteristics. In this case, we are talking about its elasticity and strength.

During the vulcanization step, the rubber material creates a cross-link. It connects each of its polymer chains. The rubber elasticity and strength improve significantly by forming perfect cross-links between polymers.

Zinc oxide plays a crucial role in this process. It acts as a primary activator.

The activator role means that zinc oxide increases sulfur decomposition. Sulfur then turns into its active form. The cross-link between rubber polymers turns into a more perfect form thanks to the active sulfur form.

Actually, we can still form cross-links without primary activation. However, its efficiency will be much lower. It leads to inferior product quality.

By adding zinc oxide, the activation of the cross-link formation will be much faster. Thus, we can improve production time. Manufacturing efficiency will also increase.

Cross-Linking Density Improvement

The zinc oxide used in rubber affects the cross-linking density. It is not only the time. It notably improves overall quality.

The better density creates specific characteristics. For example:

• Improved tensile strength,
• Resilience,
• Resistance to wear and tear.

However, the most critical role of this material in rubber vulcanization is deformation protection. It is an essential characteristic of all rubber products. It should be able to keep its form against the pressure it receives.

Having high-density cross-linking allows rubber to keep its form. Thus, it becomes a perfect material for high-performance usage. For example, high-density cross-link rubber is suitable for:

• Automotive tires,
• Conveyor belts,
• Industrial seals.

It shows how important zinc oxide is in the rubber industry. We want to highlight rubber usage on automotive tires. 

It is the easiest way for you to see how essential rubber manufacturing and product quality are to tire performance and your safety as a driver or passenger.

Conclusion

Currently, there is no better material for primary activation in rubber vulcanization. Zinc oxide stays the top choice because of its efficiency and the results it produces. Therefore, we can say that zinc oxide used in rubber will last for years.