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NR composites with different curing systems were aged thermally at 60, 70, 80, and 90 o C for 2-185 days in a convection oven, and the changes in the crosslink density were investigated as a function of the accelerated thermal aging. The overall crosslink densities increased with increasing aging time irrespective of the aging temperatures and curing systems. The changes in crosslink density were enhanced by increasing the aging temperature. The degree of the increased crosslink density was in the following order: "the conventional cure system > the semi-EV system > the EV system". For short term thermal aging, the change in crosslink density with the aging time was complicated, particularly for low temperature aging. The activation energies of the change in crosslink density with thermal aging using the conventional and semi-EV cure systems increased and then remained relatively constant with increasing aging time, whereas that of the specimen with an EV cure system tended to increase linearly. The experimental results were explained by the dissociation of the existing polysulfidic linkages and the formation of new crosslinks through the crosslinking-related chemicals remaining in the sample.

Polybutadiene (BR) was pyrolyzed at 540-860 o C and the effect of pyrolysis temperature on variations in the relative abundance of the major pyrolysis products (C4-, C5-, C6-, C7-, and C8-species) was investigated. Formation of the C4-, C5-, C6-, and C7-species competed with that of the C8-species. Relative intensity of the C8-species decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature, while that of the C5-, C6-, and C7-species increased. Pyrolysis paths were became more complicated with increasing pyrolysis temperature. We suggested the operation of double bond migration and succeeding rearrangements for the formation of the C5-and C7-species and various rearrangements, including a double bond, for the formation of the C6-species at high temperature. The activation energies for the pyrolysis product ratios of (C5+C6+C7)/C4 and C8/C4 were used to explain the competition reactions to form the pyrolysis products.

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