| abstract |
Cured rubber compositions having modulii at 10% elongation of from about 50 MPa to about 200 MPa are prepared by curing, curable rubber compositions comprising: (a) 100 parts by weight of a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene and blends thereof; (b) from about 50 to about 100 parts by weight of a metal dimethacrylate selected from the group consisting of zinc dimethacrylate and magnesium dimethacrylate and (c) from about 1.0 to about 6.0 parts by weight of a peroxide curing agent; at temperatures ranging from about 140° to about 180° C. for time periods ranging from about 10 to about 45 minutes. The curable rubber compositions may optionally and in some instances preferably contain from about 0.1 to about 2.0 parts by weight of a co-curing agent. n Cured rubber compositions of the invention may be utilized in various applications including for example conveyor belts and tire compounds. |