Elongation at Break as a Measure of Cross-Link Density in Vulcanized Elastomers

Abstract
After recalling the reaction mechanism suggested for the crosslinking of ethylene propylene copolymers with organic peroxides, the authors consider the relation between concentration of curing agent and crosslink density. It is experimentally found that, as a first approximation, the elongation ratio at break of vulcanizates (unfilled or filled with small quantities of carbon black) is a function of molar concentration of peroxide only: αR=K/P1/2 This relation can be theoretically justified on the basis of the extensibility of polymer chain segments and of the criterion for rupture originally put forward by Taylor and Darin. By applying the above relation to ethylene propylene copolymers it is possible to evaluate the influence of the chain-splitting reaction during cross-linking. The reciprocal of the square of elongation ratio at break (1/αR2) measures the total degree of crosslinking.