Method for the thermal stabilization of sulfur-vulcanizable elastomers of thiodiethanol

A method for improving the thermal stability of a vulcanizable elastomer of thiodiethanol which is not thermally stable which comprises incorporating therein a thermal stabilizing amount of a copper salt selected from the group consisting of cuprous chloride, cuprous bromide, cuprous sulfide, cuprous thiocyanate, cupric phosphate, cupric hydroxide, cupric sulfide, cupric carbonate and cupric salts of C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 monocarboxylic acids, said elastomer of thiodiethanol being represented by the formula:

• H--OG--.sub.n OH (I)
• wherein --OG-- comprises a copolymer of randomly alternating structural units selected from:
• (A) structural units (II) and (III)
• --OC.sub.2 H.sub.4 SC.sub.2 H.sub.4 -- (II)
• --OR-- (III)
• wherein R represents one or more radicals remaining on removal of two hydroxyl groups from (a) aliphatic saturated linear, branched chain or cyclic diols, or (b) aliphatic linear, branched chain or cyclic diols containg external unsaturation and having an allylic hydrogen atom;
• and
• (B) structural units (II), (III) and (IV)
• --OR-- (IV)
• wherein R' represents the radical remaining on removal of two hydroxyl groups from a diphenolic compound;
• said copolymer comprising structural units (A) and (B) being characterized in that (1) n is an integer sufficient to provide in said copolymer a molecular weight of at least about 8000;
• (2) the molar ratio of structural units (II) to (III), when the polymer comprises structural units (A), or the molar ratio of structural units (II) to the total of (III) and (IV), when the polymer comprises structural units (B), is not less than about 1:1;
• and (3) the polymers contain from 1 to 10 mole percent of said diol (b), based on the total of all units (II), (III) and (IV) present in said polymer.