Bis(N‐benzyl piperazino) thiuram disulfide and dibenzothiazyl disulfide as synergistic safe accelerators in the vulcanization of natural rubber

Some investigation regarding the effect of binary system of accelerators comprising one safe thiuram disulfide, namely bis(N‐benzyl piperazino) thiuram disulfide (BPTD) and dibenzothiazyl disulfide (MBTS), on the vulcanization of NR is carried out. The results are compared with those obtained with conventional tetra methyl thiuram disulfide (TMTD) presently considered as unsafe. The vulcanizates obtained from safe synergistic pair of accelerators (BPTD‐MBTS) possess comparable mechanical properties [modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break (%)] and exhibits some improvement in heat resistant behavior when compared with those obtained with TMTD‐MBTS system. In the light of mechanical properties, safe BPTD‐MBTS system introduces the safe noncarcinogenic rubber accelerator in the vulcanization of rubber. Same type of synergistic activity may be due to comparable activation energy for both the TDs with the combination of MBTS. Although rate constant values are low for BPTD‐MBTS (6 : 3) compared to TMTD‐MBTS (6 : 3) in the high temperature vulcanization, the crosslinking efficiency of former is very large compared to later. This may be responsible for improvement in heat resistance behavior of the novel accelerator in the combination with MBTS. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012