Method for forming an accelerator-free thin-walled rubber vulcanizates from latex

摘要

Thin-walled rubber articles for use contact with living tissue or with materials to be delivered to living tissue are prepared from aqueous latex of either natural rubber or synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprene by vulcanization to produce both carbon-carbon and carbon-(sulfur)_n-carbon crosslinks, the vulcanization being performed in the absence of any compounding components that contain secondary amine groups or any components that have a tendency to produce nitrosamines. While sulfur activators may be included, it is preferable that no sulfur accelerators at all be included. Thin-walled rubber articles formed from the latex surprisingly exhibit a combination of high tensile strength, high ultimate percent elongation, and low 500% tensile modulus. The process is particularly effective in the manufacture of thin-walled articles from synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprene.