The extreme elasticity and reversible deformability of rubber, which is one of the most versatile polymers in modern society, is dependent on several factors, including the processing conditions, curing system, and types of additives used. Since the rubber's mechanical properties are influenced by the existing structural crosslinks, their correlation with the crosslink characteristics of rubber was investigated using the equilibrium swelling theory of the Flory-Rehner equation and the rubber-filler interaction theory of the Kraus equation. Herein, we examined whether the accelerator and reinforcement agent quantitatively contributed to chemical cross-linkages and rubber-filler interaction. In conclusion, the accelerator content supported the chemically crosslinked structures of the monosulfides and the disulfides in natural rubber (NR). Additionally, these results demonstrated that the mechanical properties and the thermal resistance of NR were dependent on the crosslink characteristics. The findings of this study provide an insight into the development and application of NR products for the mechanical optimization of rubber-based products.
Keywords: accelerator; crosslink characteristics; mechanical properties; natural rubber; reinforcement agent; thermal aging.