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Rubber compounds based on acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber were filled with biopolymer fillers, namely kraft lignin, and calcium lignosulfonate. For cross‐linking of rubber compounds, sulfur curing system, dicumyl peroxide, and combination of dicumyl peroxide with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate were used. The main objective of the work was to investigate the influence of biopolymer fillers content and curing system composition on vulcanization process of rubber compounds, cross‐link density, morphology, and physical‐mechanical properties of vulcanizates. The results revealed that rubber compounds filled with calcium lignosulfonate can be efficiently cured with sulfur as well as peroxide curing systems. Modulus, hardness, and elongation at break were strongly dependent on cross‐link density. Vulcanizates filled with high content of lignosulfonate exhibited comparable values of tensile strength, regardless of the curing system applied. The application of kraft lignin into peroxide systems cured rubber compounds resulted in undesirable reactions between functional groups of the biopolymer and peroxide radicals. Depletion of peroxide radicals resulted in significant deceleration of curing process and decrease in cross‐link density of vulcanizates. This was reflected in typical change of physical‐mechanical characteristics, decrease in modulus and hardness, and increase in elongation at break. Very good adhesion and compatibility between the kraft lignin and the rubber matrix resulted in enhancement of tensile behavior of vulcanizates cured with sulfur system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber blends based on styrene–butadiene rubber, ethylene–propylene–diene monomer rubber and a combination of both rubbers were cured with different sulfur and peroxide curing systems. In sulfur curing systems, two type of accelerators, namely tetramethylthiuram disulfide, N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide, and combinations of both accelerators were used. In peroxide curing systems, dicumyl peroxide, and a combination of dicumyl peroxide with zinc diacrylate or zinc dimethacrylate, respectively, were applied. The work was aimed at investigating the effect of curing systems composition as well as the type of rubber or rubber combinations on the curing process, cross-link density and physical–mechanical properties of vulcanizates. The dynamic mechanical properties of the selected vulcanizates were examined too. The results revealed a correlation between the cross-link density and physical–mechanical properties. Similarly, there was a certain correlation between the cross-linking degree and glass transition temperature. The tensile strength of vulcanizates based on rubber combinations was higher when compared to that based on pure rubbers, which points out the fact that in rubber combinations, not only are the features of both elastomers combined, but improvement in the tensile characteristics can also be achieved. When compared to vulcanizates cured with dicumyl peroxide, materials cured with a sulfur system exhibited higher tensile strength. With the application of co-agents in peroxide vulcanization, the tensile strength overcame the tensile behavior of sulfur-cured vulcanizates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]