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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
07:48
Artificial Thermal Ageing of Polyester Reinforced and Polyvinyl Chloride Coated Technical Fabric
Published on: January 29, 2020
Ageing of inverse vulcanised polymers
Christian W Schmitt1, Andy Mach1,2, Valeria Berner2
1Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Soft Matter Synthesis Laboratory, Institute for Biological Interfaces III (IBG-3) Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Germany patrick.theato@kit.edu christian.schmitt3@kit.edu.
RSC Applied Polymers
|June 18, 2026
Summary
Inverse vulcanised polymers show varying environmental resistance based on their composition. Aliphatic monomers yield stable polymers, while bio-derived monomers create flexible, degradable materials, guiding future sulfur polymer design.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Inverse vulcanised polymers are an emerging material class with diverse applications.
- Industrial scalability requires understanding their environmental ageing behavior, which is under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ageing behavior of common inverse vulcanised polymers under various environmental conditions.
- To establish structure-property relationships influencing polymer stability.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of inverse vulcanised polymers to real-life and simulated environmental factors (temperature, sunlight, moisture, pH, biological attack).
- Analysis of material degradation and property changes.
Main Results:
- Polymers synthesized with aliphatic non-functional monomers exhibit high rigidity and environmental resistance.
- Polymers from bio-derived or functional monomers are more flexible but susceptible to oxidation and hydrolysis.
- Significant structure-property relationships were identified based on comonomer choice.
Conclusions:
- Comonomer selection critically impacts the environmental stability and degradation pathways of inverse vulcanised polymers.
- This research provides foundational data for designing sulfur polymers with tailored environmental resistance or controlled degradation for specific applications.
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