Performance of Thermal-Oxidative Aging on the Structure and Properties of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) Vulcanizates.

A thermal-oxidative aging test at 120 °C was conducted on ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) vulcanizates of the semi-efficient vulcanization system. The effect of thermal-oxidative aging on EPDM vulcanizates was systematically studied by curing kinetics, aging coefficient, crosslinking density, macroscopic physical properties, contact angle, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermal decomposition kinetics. The results show that the content of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups as well as the carbonyl index increased with increasing aging time, indicating that EPDM vulcanizates were gradually oxidized and degraded.