Radiation effects on polymers—VI. Enhancement of radiation vulcanization of styrene-butadiene rubbers mixes using two-component sensitizers

Different combinations of various multifunctional monomers and halogen co-agents were used to sensitize the radiation vulcanization of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). It was found that combinations of various vinyl compounds with hexachloroethane give rise to vulcanizates with considerably better physico-mechanical properties than those obtained in the presence of one of the two components. The enhancement of vulcanization depends upon the type of the vinyl co-agent used and on the concentrations of the sensitizers. The dose required to achieve vulcanizates with satisfactory physico-mechanical properties was reduced to 3–5 Mrad. Infra-red spectrophotometric analysis, supported by swelling and solubility tests, indicated that the co-agent most probably became a part of the vulcanized rubber. The mechanism of vulcanization in the presence of the two-component co-agent system is suggested.