Radiation effects on polymers—IV: Straight radiation vulcanization of styrene-butadiene rubber mixes

Vulcanization of styrene-butadiene rubbers was carried out by gamma radiation in air. For unloaded unextracted rubbers, the dose required for optimum cross-linking was about 40 megaroentgens (MR). Elimination of foreign materials and stabilizers and also incorporation of filler affected the vulcanization. Loaded samples gave vulcanizates with best complex physico-mechanical properties for filler content of 50 (phr) and a dose of 30 MR. Evaluation of various fillers has shown that the best properties were obtained with HAF among the black fillers and silica in the case of white fillers.