Effect of the Curing Systems on the Fatigue Behavior of NR Vulcanizates

In the present work, the effect of different network structures, created in natural rubber vulcanizates by different curing systems, on the fatigue behavior was studied. The accompanying changes in the physico-mechanical properties of unfilled and filled rubber vulcanizates was also studied. It was found that the physico-mechanical properties greatly depend on the curing system used. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the failure mechanism of rubber. The SEM results show the changes in network structure of the natural rubber vulcanizates, which have undergone fatigue failure via flexing. On the other hand the loading of rubber compounds with reinforcing filler increases stiffness, improves the mechanical properties and decreases the resistance to fatigue of the resultant vulcanizates.