Chloroprene Rubber Production Methods

Chloroprene rubber is produced using emulsion polymerization, with the production process typically involving single-reactor batch polymerization. The polymerization temperature is generally controlled between 40 and 60°C, with a conversion rate of approximately 90%. Excessively high polymerization temperature, excessively high final conversion rate, or the introduction of air (oxygen) during polymerization can all lead to a decline in product quality. The molecular weight is adjusted using a sulfur-thiuram (tetraalkylmethylaminothiocarbonyl disulfide) system. A major drawback of the sulfur-thiuram system is the instability of the sulfur bonds, which is a significant factor affecting storage stability. This property can be improved by adjusting the molecular weight using thiols. Unlike general synthetic rubbers, chloroprene rubber is not vulcanized with sulfur; instead, it is vulcanized with zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, etc.