Say goodbye to brittle, hard, and cracked rubber! Formic acid improves rubber performance in all aspects

Formic acid (HCOOH) is a colorless and transparent liquid. Its special feature is its strong reducing property. It can react with oxygen, hydrocarbons, etc. in rubber to form a more stable structure. This property makes formic acid a versatile player in the rubber industry.

What are rubber products most afraid of? Aging! Oxygen, light, and high temperature can make rubber hard, crack, and even lose elasticity. The role of formic acid is like putting a layer of "armor" on rubber.

When some components in rubber encounter oxygen, free radicals will be generated, causing the rubber molecular chain to break, leading to rubber aging (that is, free radicals induce oxidation reactions). Formic acid can react with free oxygen inside the rubber, reduce oxygen concentration, and slow down the rate of molecular chain breakage.

In synthetic rubber (such as styrene-butadiene rubber), the more uniform the sulfur cross-linking, the stronger and more durable the rubber. Formic acid can promote uniformity, avoid local overhardening or brittleness, and make the rubber both soft and tough.

Formic acid and antioxidants form a double protection. Formic acid ester antioxidants are added to tire rubber to extend the service life at high temperatures.

Rubber processing is like "kneading plasticine", but real rubber is not so easy to deal with. The role of formic acid is to make rubber more obedient

Formic acid can react with hydrocarbons in rubber to reduce intermolecular friction, making rubber softer and more ductile. For example, adding formic acid in the production of soles makes rubber easier to extrude and molds do not stick. Formic acid can adjust the hardness and elasticity of different sole rubbers as needed.

"Mooney viscosity" is an indicator of rubber fluidity. The higher the value, the less likely the rubber is to flow and the more difficult the mixing process is. Formic acid can reduce Mooney viscosity and make the mixing process smoother. It is often used in chloroprene rubber, butadiene rubber, etc.

The surface quality of rubber products directly affects its performance. For example, medical catheters require a smooth surface to reduce bacterial adhesion, and seals need to be firmly bonded to metal or plastic. Formic acid comes in handy here again:

Formic acid can remove impurities and oxides on the rubber surface to make it smooth. For example, some silicone rubber seals in automobile engines can better fit engine parts and prevent oil leakage after formic acid treatment.

Adding formic acid in an appropriate amount can also improve the tolerance of rubber to acids, alkalis and solvents. For example, for nitrile rubber, which is commonly used in oil-resistant environments, can also enhance its resistance to some organic solvents after formic acid treatment.

Natural rubber is an emulsion extracted from rubber trees, but how to turn liquid emulsion into solid rubber? The answer is formic acid.

Formic acid can act as an acidic coagulant to allow rubber particles to aggregate and precipitate into uniform rubber blocks. It is more environmentally friendly, coagulates faster, has fewer impurities, and can control molecular weight distribution to ensure product performance, such as medical gloves production (soft, safe and reliable).

From anti-aging to efficient processing; from natural rubber coagulation to surface treatment; formic acid is crucial in the rubber industry; with the improvement of environmental protection requirements, formic acid will play a greater role in green rubber manufacturing.