Free radical cured rubber employing acrylate or methacrylate esters of hydroxybenzene and hydroxynaphthalene compounds as co-curing agents

摘要

Free radically curable rubbers are crosslinked with the aid of a free radical initiator and a co-curing agent, which is an acrylate or methacrylate ester of a hydroxybenzene or hydroxynaphthalene compound containing two or more hydroxyl groups, at least two of which are esterified. The rubbers which are used in the present invention are natural rubber and synthetic rubbers derived from a diene monomer. Preferred co-curing agents are acrylate and methacrylate esters of hydroxybenzene compounds in which the ester contains two or three acrylate or methacrylate groups per molecule. The amount of co-curing agent may be about 1-50 parts by weight per one hundred parts by weight of rubber (phr). Outstanding abrasion resistance and air oven aging are observed.