Improving the Elasticity and Vulcanization Properties of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Rubber by Flexible Vulcanization Agents

Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVM) rubber exhibits relatively poor elasticity, restricting its wide application. The effects of flexible vulcanization agents, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and tripropanediol diacrylate (TPGDA), on the mechanical properties and vulcanization characteristics of EVM were studied. At a 3 phr dosage, EGDMA and TPGDA increased elongation at break by 23.5% and 37.0%, respectively, while improving tension set recovery. These agents extended scorch time and reduced optimum vulcanization time. Vulcanization kinetics analysis demonstrated that these two agents shortened vulcanization time, improved production efficiency, and reduced initial reaction temperature (10°C–20°C) and activation energy (7–21 kJ/mol). This study offers a low-cost and simple method to enhance the elasticity and vulcanization properties of EVM and other rubber materials.