Adhesion in EPDM joints: Role of the interdiffusion mechanism on interfacial co-crosslinking

✍ Scribed by F. Ruch; M. O. David; M. F. Vallat

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 255 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-6266
• DOI: 10.1002/1099-0488(20001201)38:23<3189::aid-polb190>3.0.co;2-5

✦ Synopsis

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between the mechanism of interdiffusion of the polymer chains across the interface and the formation of crosslinks in the interfacial zone when two elastomer sheets are joined and crosslinked. It is commonly accepted that the strength of the interface thus obtained is related to the number of interlinks that are created in the molecular interphase. This number generally is considered as equal to the number of crosslinks determined in the bulk. Ethylene-copropylene-codiene polymer (EPDM) does not follow this general law. The slow diffusion of the chains at the interface may be responsible for the peculiar behavior observed. In order to separate the two mechanisms responsible for the interfacial strength, diffusion, and crosslinking, two crosslinking procedures, namely peroxide crosslinking at high temperature and electron beam crosslinking at room temperature, have been used. This latter procedure allows control of the diffusion depth. It has been shown that diffusion of EPDM chains is indeed occurring at a much slower rate than expected, leading to less efficient co-crosslinking in the interfacial zone.