Chloroprene Rubber Properties

It appears as a milky white, beige, or light brown sheet or block, an elastomer produced by α-polymerization of chloroprene (i.e., 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene) as the main raw material. The solubility parameter of chloroprene rubber is δ=9.2～9.41. It is soluble in toluene, xylene, dichloroethane, and trivanadium; slightly soluble in acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, and cyclohexane; insoluble in n-hexane and solvent gasoline, but soluble in a mixture of appropriate proportions of good and poor solvents and non-solvents, or poor and non-solvent mixtures. It swells but does not dissolve in vegetable oils and mineral oils.

It has good physical and mechanical properties, is oil-resistant, heat-resistant, flame-retardant, sunlight-resistant, ozone-resistant, acid and alkali-resistant, and chemically resistant. Its disadvantages are poor cold resistance and storage stability. It has high tensile strength, elongation, and reversible crystallinity, and good adhesion. It is resistant to aging and heat. It has excellent oil resistance and chemical corrosion resistance. Its weather resistance and ozone aging resistance are second only to ethylene propylene rubber and butyl rubber. Its heat resistance is comparable to nitrile rubber, with a decomposition temperature of 230–260℃. It can withstand short-term temperatures of 120–150℃ and can be used long-term at 80–100℃. It also possesses some flame retardancy. Its oil resistance is second only to nitrile rubber. It has good resistance to inorganic acids and alkalis. Its cold resistance is slightly poor, and its electrical insulation is not good. The raw rubber has poor storage stability and will exhibit "self-vulcanization," resulting in increased Mooney viscosity and hardening of the raw rubber.