Vulcanization Process for Rubber Products
OwnerIrina S. Yurovskayainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for preparing a rubber article involves modifying the crosslinking density in one region of the article relative to another region of the article. The modification can be carried out by increasing or decreasing the energy transferred to the first region relative to the energy transferred to the second region during vulcanization. In one implementation, the process is conducted in a mold. Rubber parts described have two or more regions that differ from one another with respect to their crosslinking density.
Claims15
A process for producing a rubber article, the process comprising:
- selecting crosslinking conditions to increase or decrease the crosslinking density in a first region of the rubber article relative to a second region of the rubber article, and
- applying the selected crosslinking conditions to the first region and/or the second region of an uncured rubber article, to obtain a first crosslinking density in a corresponding first cured region of the rubber article and a second crosslinking density in a corresponding second cured region of the rubber article, wherein the first crosslinked region and the second crosslinked region are prepared from the same rubber composition, using the same curing system, and wherein the first crosslinking density is different from the second crosslinking density.
A rubber article produced by a process comprising:
- curing an elastomeric composition in a mold or extruding the elastomeric composition through a die, wherein the mold or the die includes a first section and a second section;
- and
- supplying more energy to the first section than to the second section, thereby producing a rubber article having a crosslinking density that is higher in a first region formed in the first section than in a second region formed in the second section.
A process for producing a rubber article, the process comprising:
- evaluating a control cured rubber article to determine a first region exposed to a first service environment and a second region exposed to a second service environment;
- determining a first crosslinking density regime characterizing the first region and a second crosslinking density regime characterizing the second region;
- applying first vulcanization conditions to the first region of an uncured rubber article and second vulcanization conditions to the second region of the uncured rubber article, or performing 3D printing, to obtain a cured rubber article having the first crosslinking density regime in the first region and the second crosslinking density regime in the second region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.