The Use of Coagents in the Radical Cure of Elastomers

Steven K. Henning
Sartomer Company, Inc.
Exton, PA, USA
610-363-8454 steve.henning@sartomer.com

Abstract
The present article will review the use of coagents in the radical
cure of elastomers, and introduce the concept of improving
vulcanizate performance by proper coagent selection through an
understanding of structure-property relationships. A wide variety
of commercially available coagent types will be discussed, along
with relevant application data supporting their use in peroxide
cured systems. Illustrative examples include elastomers used in
the wire and cable industry. A brief extension into electron beam
curing of elastomers offers a comparison between peroxide-
derived radical cure and cure initiated by incident radiation.

Keywords: coagent; peroxide; electron beam; cure; elastomer;
EPDM; CM; NBR; wire; cable

1. Introduction
By crosslinking elastomeric polymers, useful materials can be
formed which possess physical properties such as high tensile
strengths, low compression set, recoverable elongations, high tear
energies, and improved dynamic performance. The quantity and
quality of the linkages formed by the crosslinking reactions
determine the properties of the resulting network.

There are many types of vulcanization systems. Deciding which
system is optimal for a given application depends on the required
curing conditions, the elastomer or elastomer blend employed, and
the desired physical properties of the final vulcanizate. Often,
free radicals are used to facilitate cure. Radicals can be formed
either through the thermal decomposition of peroxides or
spontaneously by incident radiation. Peroxides are capable of
vulcanizing most polymer types, including standard unsaturated
and saturated elastomer grades, fluoroelastomers, and silicones.
Electron-beam irradiation is also a facile method. The synergistic
use of coagents in radical-cure systems helps expand the utility of
the vulcanization process.

Networks formed from radical vulcanization typically possess
good heat-ageing stability and low compression set. These
qualities are a direct manifestation of the chemical composition of
the crosslinks formed. Synergistic use of multifunctional
coagents can improve upon these properties by increasing the
crosslink density of the network and by altering the crosslink
composition. There are many functional compounds that have
been used as coagents for radical cure. The final properties of the
formed network will depend on the reactivity and structure of the
coagent. In the wire and cable market, application of radical-
cured thermoset components include insulation and jacketing.
The use of coagents can improve the physical properties of these
compounds, including modulus, tensile strength, tear, and even
adhesion and dynamic properties.

The present article will review the use of peroxides to cure
elastomer systems, and introduce the concept of improving
vulcanizate performance by proper coagent selection. Many
commercially available coagent types will be discussed, and their
utility demonstrated as a function of elastomer type. The use of
coagents in electron-beam curing will also be reviewed.
Particular attention will be focused on the understanding of
structure-property relationships to facilitate coagent selection.

2. Peroxide Cure Using Coagents
The basic chemistry of peroxide decomposition and subsequent
crosslink-forming reactions is well established for various
unsaturated and saturated elastomer systems.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] An
excellent review article outlines the scope of peroxide cure and
discusses the complexity of reaction pathways in terms of
competing reactions, only some of which result in effective
crosslink formation.[5]

2.1 Coagent Utility
Of course the desired reaction pathway for a radical species is
crosslink formation. The competitive reactions include polymer
scission or other deleterious reactions. Unfortunately, many of
the destructive reactions are kinetically favored, and typically
only a very high concentration of reactive sites on the polymer
backbone allows for effective crosslink formation to occur at all.

However, productive crosslink formation can be favored through
the use of very reactive, multifunctional coagent products.
Coagents favor network formation by increasing the local
concentration of highly reactive groups. In borrowing the theme
of competing reactions, the utility of coagents is derived from
promoting more efficient crosslink formation by establishing a
higher concentration of reactive sites and reducing the chance of
deleterious radical side reactions. Of course, the incorporation of
coagents into the network can also favorably impact the physical
properties of the vulcanizate.

2.2 Coagent Structure-Property Relationships
Coagents are classified based on their contributions to cure and
thus divided into two basic types. Type I coagents increase both
the rate and state of cure. Type I coagents are typically polar, low
molecular weight multifunctional compounds which propagate
very reactive radicals through addition reactions. These
monomers can be homopolymerized or grafted to polymer
chains. Type I coagents include multifunctional acrylate and
methacrylate esters and phenylene dimaleimide (PDM). The zinc
salts of acrylic (ZDA) and methacrylic acid (ZDMA) also belong
to this class.

Type II coagents form less reactive radicals and contribute only to
the state of cure. They form radicals primarily through hydrogen
abstraction. Type II coagents can include allyl-containing
cyanurates, isocyanurates and phthalates, homopolymers of
dienes, and co-polymers of dienes and vinyl aromatics. Table 1
identifies commonly used coagent products. Figure 1
demonstrates the departures from a standard peroxide cure
rheometer profile when coagents from each Type are applied.

International Wire & Cable Symposium 587 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS

Figure 1. The influence on cure profiles of Type I
coagents (A), Type II coagents (B), compared with
peroxide alone (C). The shift in scorch time (t
s2
), cure
rate (t
90
), and state of cure (M
H
) is noted.

2.3 Coagent Role in Network Formation
Because of their reactivity, coagents generally make more
efficient use of the radicals derived from peroxides, whether
acting to suppress non-network forming side reactions during
cure[6,7] or to generate additional crosslinks.[8] The mechanism
of crosslink formation using coagents appears to be at least
partially dependent on their class. Most Type I coagents can
homopolymerize and graft-to forming viable crosslinks through
radical addition reactions. Certain Type II coagents, containing
extractable allylic hydrogen, have been shown to participate in
intramolecular cyclization reactions as well as intermolecular
propagation reactions.[9] Trifunctional allylic coagents (TAC and
TAIC) may form crosslinks through the cyclopolymerization
products as well as grafting through pendant allyl groups. The
polymeric coagents, typically high vinyl poly(butadienes)
(HVPBD), simply increase the concentration of reactive pendant
unsaturation, further promoting crosslinking reactions.

Table 1. Examples of some commonly used coagent
products.

Chemical Name Code Type Commercial Product
trifunctional acrylate, scorch retarded TA Type I Saret SR519HP
trifunctional methacrylate, scorch retarded TMA Type I Saret SR517HP
zinc diacrylate, scorch retarded ZDA Type I Saret SR633
zinc dimethacrylate, scorch retarded ZDMA Type I Saret SR634
N, N-m-phenylene dimaleimide PDM Type I SR525
polybutadiene diacrylate PBDDA Hybrid SR307
triallyl cyanurate TAC TypeII SR507
triallyl isocyanurate TAIC Type II SR533
high vinyl polybutadiene HVPBD Type II Ricon 154


Network enhancement through the grafting of coagents between
polymer chains,[8, 10 ] the formation of an interpenetrating
network of homopolymerized coagents,[11] and the formation of
higher modulus filler-like domains of thermoset coagent [9,12]
has been suggested. Rather than the above cases being distinct
outcomes of vulcanization, the resulting network is likely defined
by a distribution of the above crosslink structures. The actual
population of the distribution is determined by a host a factors
including coagent loading, solubility of the coagent in the
elastomer, and the relative reactivity of the coagent compared to
the elastomer. Figure 2 provides an ideal representation of the
spectral nature of crosslink structures derived from peroxide cure
using coagents.



Figure 2. Idealized network derived from a peroxide-
coagent cure system. Crosslinks can be derived from
(A) polymer radicals, (B) coagent forming effective
crosslinks, and (C) thermoset domains of coagent
grafted to polymer chains.

3. Coagent Selection
While most coagents will increase the crosslink density in radical
cured thermoset systems, the relative amount of improvement in
the physical properties of the vulcanizate is determined by a
number of factors.[ 13 , 14 ] Again, coagent solubility and
reactivity in a particular system is important in determining the
quantity of crosslinks formed and typically drives the selection
process. However, the structure of the crosslink is also
determined by the coagent product and can be tuned to impart
certain adventitious properties to the compound. Thus, the quality
of the crosslinks can also be manipulated by proper coagent
selection.

3.1 Crosslink Quantity
The number of crosslinks formed is determined by several factors,
including the reactivity of the coagent, the number of reactive
groups (functionality), and the loading and solubility of the
coagent in the elastomer. The relationship between crosslink
density and tensile, compression, and tear has been previously
established.[15] Torque rheometry is a standard method used to
measure the amount of crosslink density by comparing the amount
of torque generated during cure (delta torque, M
H
-M
L
).

3.1.1 Differentiation by Elastomer. To demonstrate relative
improvements in crosslink density for a Type I and Type II
coagent, Figure 3 compares the addition of a trifunctional acrylate
ester monomer or HVPBD resin to a dicumyl peroxide cure
system in a variety of standard elastomer grades. The series offers
insight as to the importance of coagent selection as a function of
elastomer structure. The elastomers used in the study are defined
in Table 2.

Table 2. ASTM designations of commonly used
elastomers.

ASTM Polymer
Designation Structure
NR natural rubber
NBR nitrile rubber
EPDM ethylene propylene diene rubber
HNBR hydrogenated nitrile rubber
CSM chlorosulfonated polyethylene
CM chloronated polyethylene

International Wire & Cable Symposium 588 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS
Moving left to right in Figure 3 the elastomer grades become
more saturated, and were less effectively cured by peroxide alone.
The overall state of cure decreased as a function of elastomer
saturation. The addition of a Type I coagent provided a
measurable improvement in the state of cure for all elastomers,
but the percent improvement was greatest for the fully saturated
grades (CM, CSM). The use of a Type II coagent only provided
appreciable improvement in the less reactive grades (HNBR,
EPDM, CSM, CM). Coagents with less reactive groups (allylic,
Type II) could not compete effectively with the high
concentration of unsaturation in the diene-based elastomers (NR,
NBR) and their contribution to cure state was minimized.



Figure 3. Influence on crosslink density (delta torque,
M
H
-M
L
) for a Type I (TA) or Type II (HVPBD) coagent
compared to peroxide cure as a function of elastomer
grade. (ASTM D 5289)

3.1.2 Differentiation by Coagent. Two of the most
common elastomers used in wire and cable applications are
EPDM and CM. Model compounds using these elastomer grades
were prepared to highlight the effects of various coagent
structures on cure kinetics and physical properties. Highlighted in
the figure below are both a comparison between grades of
elastomers (EPDM, 5% unsaturation and CM, fully saturated),
and the influence of coagent addition on properties in these grades
as a function of coagent structure.

Figure 4 provides a comparison of crosslink density (delta torque)
as a function of coagent type in these elastomers. Again, EPDM
displyed higher baseline crosslink density compared to CM.
Density increased with coagent addition for both grades. In
EPDM, increases were greater for Type I coagents versus Type II.
However in the case of CM, the highest increase in crosslink
density was found for TAC, a Type II coagent.

Scorch times provide a measurement of process safety, indicating
the latent period at a given temperature before appreciable
vulcanization occurs. The data in Figure 5 demonstrates that
Type I coagents typically reduce scorch times while Type II
coagents minimize the loss of scorch safety. Also, scorch times
are reduced more dramatically when coagents were applied to less
inherently reactive elastomer grade (CM).



Figure 4. Delta torque (M
H
-M
L
) for EPDM and CM based
compounds as a function of coagent type. Coagent
loading at 1 phr. (ASTM D 5289)



Figure 5. Scorch times (t
s2
) for EPDM and CM based
compounds as a function of coagent type. Coagent
loading at 1 phr. (ASTM D 5289)

Modulus values typically follow delta torque, as both can be
directly correlated to crosslink density. Figure 6 provides 100%
modulus data for the previous EPDM and CM series. All the
coagents surveyed increase the modulus of the compound
compared to the peroxide control. The differences in the absolute
values of modulus are related to the composition of the model
formulations themselves and are not attributable to elastomer-
coagent interactions.



Figure 6. 100% modulus for EPDM and CM based
compounds as a function of coagent type. Coagent
loading at 5 phr. (ASTM D 412)



International Wire & Cable Symposium 589 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS
While increasing the quantity of crosslinks is perhaps the single
most important attribute of applied coagent technology,
differentiation in certain physical properties of the vulcanizate can
further be attained by changing the quality of crosslinks as well.

3.2 Crosslink Quality
By judicious selection of coagent structure, the quality of
crosslinks can be influenced along with the quantity. When a
coagent is incorporated as a crosslink in the network, it becomes a
load bearing member. By changing the chemical structure of the
coagent, the response of the entire network to induced strains can
be favorably altered. Measurable physical properties such as tear
strength, dynamic flexural fatigue, and compression set are
affected. In addition, surface properties such as adhesion can also
be promoted.

The zinc salts of acrylic and methacrylic acid (ZDA, ZDMA) are
unique in the field of coagents as they contain an ionic bond.
When included in a peroxide cure system, the zinc-based coagents
form crosslinks and manifest physical properties attributable to
the ionic nature of their structure. The dissociation energy of the
Zn-O bond has been calculated to lie between carbon-carbon
bonds and polysulfidic bonds (Table 3.) Peroxide cure generates
mainly carbon-based linkages, and heat resistance and low
compression set are well-known attributes static applications. The
use of polysulfidic crosslinks dominates dynamic applications, as
the labile linkages are known to break and reform under strain to
alleviate stress.[ 16 ] As a result, networks comprised of
polysulfidic linkages display excellent tear and flexural fatigue
properties.

Table 3. Bond dissociation energies for selected
crosslink structures.

Dissociation Energy
Cure System Bond Type Structure (kJ/mol)
Peroxide -C-C- carbon 335
Sulfur -S-C monosulfidic 314
Sulfur -Sx- polysulfidic 147
Peroxide, Coagent -Zn-O- ionic 293


3.2.1 Tear Strength. Tear properties can be improved by
incorporating ionic crosslink density into the network.[17] An
illustrative example is provided in Figure 7. For a series of Type I
and Type II coagents in an EPDM formulation, only ZDMA
improves tear strength as a function of increasing modulus.



Figure 7. Tear strength as a function of modulus for
ZDMA, TA, TAC, and HVPBD in an EPDM compound.
Coagent loadings at 1, 5, and 10 phr. (ASTM D 624-C)
3.2.2 Flexural Fatigue. It has also been demonstrated that the
flexural fatigue properties of peroxide-cured materials can be
improved thought the incorporation of ionic crosslinks from
ZDMA.[ 18 , 19 ] A peroxide control, peroxide with ZDMA
coagent, and a semi-efficient sulfur vulcanization system were
each used to cure an EPDM compound to constant modulus.
Crack growth was measured on a Demattia flex tester. The results
are summarized in Figure 8.[4] When incorporating ionic
crosslinks into the network, flexural fatigue was significantly
improved over the peroxide control and compared favorably to the
sulfur vulcanized sample.



Figure 8. Number of cycles to 12.7 mm crack width as
measured on a Demattia flex tester at 300 cpm in an
EPDM compound. ZDMA loading at 5 phr. (ASTM D
430-B) [4]

3.2.3 Adhesion. Adhesion of rubber to most metals must be
engineered as it is not an inherent property. With the notable
exception of sulfur cured rubber and brass, most rubber systems
must utilize applied adhesives or functional additives to facilitate
an adhesive bond to metal. It has been found that zinc-based
coagents can establish a strong bond to most metal substrates, and
also improve the adhesion of peroxide-cured rubber to treated
polar fabrics.[ 20 ] In Figure 9, several Type I and Type II
coagents have been added to a peroxide cured EPDM compound
at 5 phr. Lap shear adhesion to steel was measured. Coagents
ZDMA and ZDA provided a high level of adhesion with samples
exhibiting cohesive failure. The use of other coagents resulted in
adhesive failure.



Figure 9. Lap shear adhesion of a peroxide-cured
EPDM compound with cold rolled steel. Coagent
loading at 10 phr. (ASTM D 816-B)



International Wire & Cable Symposium 590 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS
Producing adhesion through the use of zinc-based coagents is a
technology which is dependent on the cure process. Adhesion is
only adequately generated if the rubber sample is cured-in-place
adjacent to the substrate to which is to be adhered.

3.2.4 Compression Set. While compression set is largely
determined by the number of crosslinks formed (quantity), the
bond strength of the crosslinks also influences the amount of
permanent set. ZDMA contains an ionic bond with significantly
lower calculated dissociation energy than the other monomeric
and polymeric coagents. Whereas this structural feature is
advantageous for other physical properties, it can negatively affect
compression set. Figure 10 demonstrates the influence of coagent
addition on compression set in EPDM and NBR formulations.
Standard coagents, regardless of type, reduced permanent set as
crosslink density increases. However, despite increased crosslink
density, the addition of ZDMA did not follow the same trend and
resulted in increased permanent set.



Figure 10. Compression set for EPDM and NBR based
compounds as a function of delta torque (M
H
-M
L
).
Coagent loading at 5 phr. (ASTM D 5289, 395)

Spatial homogeneity of the crosslink density is also an important
factor in minimizing compression set. The solubility parameter of
the coagent should be well matched to the elastomer to which it is
applied to maximize dispersion of the coagent and promote
effective crosslinking.

Most Type I coagents show poor solubility in hydrocarbon-based
elastomers (dienes, EPM, EPDM) as they are quite
polar.[ 21 , 22 , 23 ] The largest impact on cure kinetics and
vulcanizate properties are often derived from structures having the
least solubilitymultifunctional acrylates or zinc salts with a high
reactive group densitytranslating to a high molar concentration
of reactivity per phr of coagent. The addition of hydrocarbon
character to improve solubilitylonger alkyl bridging groups,
pendant methyl to tertiary butyl structures, etc.may also
decrease the apparent reactivity by either steric hindrance or
molar dilution effects. The polymeric Type II coagents tend not
to increase modulus upon curing to the extent of the Type I diene-
based coagents. These materials are typically much more soluble
in the elastomeric matrix, as the difference in solubility
parameters is much less pronounced. Domain formation is
typically not exhibited. They can provide moderate
improvements in tensile properties and compression set while not
adversely effecting elongation or tear strength.



3.3 Physical Property Optimization
As noted above, the proper selection of coagents for a given
application sometimes involves reaching a balance between
mutually exclusive properties. Improved properties such as
modulus and tensile strength are known to correlate with
increased crosslink density. However, modulus improvements
may often lead to decreased tear strength when using standard
coagents (Figure 7). The notable exception in the latter case is the
use of zinc-based coagents. The addition of ZDA and ZDMA can
also increase compression set, a property normally improved
when applying other coagent products (Figure 10). Other
properties such as elongation and flexibility are inversely
proportional to crosslink density. Figure 11 demonstrates such a
trend in both the EPDM and CM formulations used previously.



Figure 11. Elongation as a function of modulus for a
series of coagents in an EPDM compound. Coagent
loadings at 1, 5, and 10 phr. (ASTM D 412)

A reduction in scorch protection has been demonstrated when
applying Type I coagents. However, the loss in scorch safety
exhibited by the Type I coagents can be mediated by the use of
cure retarders. The application of retarding species in peroxide
cure has been reviewed.[1,9] Type I coagents are often available
as proprietary mixtures including radical-scavenging retarders,
providing prolonged scorch safety while maintaining cure rate and
greater crosslink density.[24] Figure 12 summarizes the benefits
in using scorch retarded coagents. As shown, the addition of a
scorch retarder to the coagent can mitigate a reduction in process
safety. With a slight increase in coagent or peroxide level, total
crosslink density and final vulcanizate properties can be
maintained.



Figure 12. Scorch times (t
s2
) for several Type I
coagents both with retarder package (Saret

) and
without (coagent only) in EPDM compound. Coagent
loading at 5 phr. (ASTM D 5289)

International Wire & Cable Symposium 591 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS
The common trade-offs in physical properties highlighted above
must be managed relative to the desired performance targets of the
compound in a given application. Coagent selection is critical to
the optimization process. By understanding the advantages and
disadvantages of specific coagent structures, an acceptable
balance in physical properties can be achieved.

4. Electron Beam Cure Using Coagents
Radiation curing has historically been used as an alternative to
peroxides in applications where the curatives themselves or side-
products of vulcanization are viewed as impurities in the final
product. As previously noted, peroxide cure progresses through a
series of radical intermediates, each of which can undergo side
reactions which may not necessarily contribute to crosslink
density. Radiation cure, on the other hand, has been promoted as
a cleaner and more homogeneous cure process.

Electron beam irradiation has been used in the wire and cable
industry for longer than 30 years and applied to a wide range of
commodity and specialty elastomers. A survey of the types of
elastomers susceptible to radiation curing is available, as are
review articles describing the electron-beam curing of
commercially significant grades.[ 25 , 26 ] Variables such as
radiation dosage and the effect of polymer microstructure and
chemical additives on the efficiency of electron beam cure have
been studied.

4.1 Comparing Peroxide and Electron Beam Curing
While both peroxide and electron beam cure involve radical-based
intermediates, differences between the mechanisms do exist.
While peroxide cure is a thermally initiated event with cure
temperatures routinely in the 160C to 180C range, electron beam
cure is performed at room temperature. Peroxide cure is initiated
by oxygen-centered radicals that can be differentiated from the
carbon-centered radicals produced by polymer excitation in
radiation cure. The length of cure time in each system is also very
different. In peroxide cure, cure time is governed by the half life
of the peroxide at a given temperature, and can be longer than 30
minutes to reach > 99% decomposition. In contrast, electron
beam cure is practically instantaneous. The cure temperature and
cure time differences can result in significantly less energy
applied to the electron beam cure process, a fact which may
contribute to variations in coagent performance between the
disparate systems.

4.2 Coagent Utility
The addition of coagents to the electron beam cure of various
elastomer grades has also been studied.[ 27, 28, 29] Crosslink
density is found to be not only a function of radiation dose
(parallel to peroxide loading) but also coagent loading. Like
peroxide cure, the response of the base elastomer to electron beam
cure correlates primarily with the level of unsaturation in the
polymer backbone. The more highly reactive Type I coagents
have demonstrated the most utility when unsaturated polymers
have been used (HNBR, EPDM).

In order to quantify the effects of coagent addition on the electron
beam cure of EPDM, several Type I and Type II coagents were
evaluated. As a measure of crosslinking efficiency, the modulus
of samples irradiated at 50, 100, and 150 kGy dosing were
compared. Figure 13 provides the results of the initial study.
Increased radiation dose resulted in higher modulus regardless of
coagent Type. Differentiation based on coagent structure is also
readily apparent.



Figure 13. Modulus as a function of coagent type and
radiation dose in an electron-beam cured EPDM
formulation. Coagent loading at 5 phr. (ASTM D 412)

Figure 14 demonstrates the effect of increased coagent loading at
a given radiation dose. Most coagent types increased modulus as
a function of loading, but Type I coagents provided the most
improvement. The trifunctional methacrylate ester provided the
highest modulus increase in the compound, both as a function of
radiation dose and coagent loading.



Figure 14. Modulus as a function of coagent type and
loading in an electron-beam cured EPDM formulation.
150 kGy dose of radiation. (ASTM D 412)

The same coagents were studied in a peroxide cured EPDM
formulation. Again, tensile modulus was tested to provide a
comparative measure of crosslink density. The results are
provided in Figure 15. Unlike the results in radiation cured
samples, the relative efficiency of the coagents did not strictly
follow trends based on Type, but were likely more influenced by
the variety of complex factors related to solubility and reactivity
outlined previously.

Although the formulations were identical save for the cure
chemistry and process, the data in Figures 14 and 15 demonstrate
that there are clear differences in the efficiency with which certain
coagent structures contribute to crosslink density. In both cure
systems the correct application of coagent technology can
contribute to higher crosslink density and improved physical
properties. As a corollary, the addition of coagents can also
reduce the dosage of radiation required to produce adequate cure.

International Wire & Cable Symposium 592 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS


Figure 15. Modulus as a function of coagent type and
loading in a peroxide cured EPDM formulation. Dicumyl
peroxide at 3 phr actives. (ASTM D 412)

5. Conclusion
Coagents are used to increase the crosslink density of peroxide-
cured systems by increasing the efficiency of productive radical
reactions. The technology has progressed forward such that today
the improvements in crosslink density are generally taken for
granted, and coagent selection is now driven by the desire to
improve more than just the modulus or tensile strength of the
compound.

It is now clear that many of the beneficial properties associated
with coagent use are directly related to the chemical structure of
the products. Reactivity and cure kinetics, the inherent strength
and flexibility of the formed network, and the affinity of the
resulting compound for polar substrates can in large part be
accounted for by an inventory of the structural components of the
coagent molecule.

The use of coagents provides benefits in both peroxide and
radiation cure mechanisms. However, there are clear differences
in the efficiency with which certain coagent structures contribute
to crosslink density based on cure chemistry and process. To
realize the greatest improvements in a given application or cure
type, it is crucial to understand the structure-property relationships
directing coagent performance.

6. Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the Sartomer Company, Inc. for
the permission to make the information contained in this paper
available. Gratitude must also be extended to William Boye for
his detailed work in comparing coagent types in various cure
systems and elastomers. An ongoing joint project with E-Beam
Services, Inc. made possible the radiation curing data provided.

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29. M. La Rosa, C. Wrana, D. Achten, Electron Beam Curing of EVM
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Nov. 12-15, 2006.




Steven K. Henning
steve.henning@sartomer.com

Steven K. Henning received a Bachelors Degree in Material
Science and Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University
in 1994 and was conferred a Masters Degree in Polymer Science
from the University of Akron in 2003.

Between 1995 and 2004 he was employed at The Goodyear Tire
and Rubber Company (Akron, OH) developing new tire
elastomers for the Chemical Division as Team Leader for Anionic
and Emulsion Polymer Development.

Since 2004, he is the Senior Chemist in charge of Sartomerss
Rubber Lab (Exton, PA) coordinating projects which focus on the
development of functional additives for improved elastomers cure.
International Wire & Cable Symposium 593 Proceedings of the 56th IWCS