Preventing the Bacterial Oxidation of Rubber

Abstract

Abstract The recent article by ZoBell and Grant notes the attack of rubber by bacteria under conditions of high moisture. It is suggested that “the life of rubber products which come in contact with moisture may be prolonged if ways can be found to retard or prevent the activity of rubber oxidizing microorganisms”. In the compounding of rubber commercially, native rubber is mixed with a number of chemicals, each of which serves a specific purpose in the properties of the finished product. Among these are accelerators which lower the temperature and shorten the time of vulcanization and lengthen the life of rubber. Two well-known accelerators are mercaptobenzothiazole and tetramethylthiuram disulfide. These compounds have been tested for their ability to inhibit germination of fungi, and gross observations have been made on their ability to inhibit bacterial growth. Mercaptobenzothiazole is a moderately good fungicide, and tetramethylthiuram disulfide is excellent. The latter compound is now being marketed as a seed protectant and for the prevention of turf diseases. Both of these materials have been tested, under field conditions prevailing in Connecticut, by the authors for their efficacy in controlling plant diseases. Mercaptobenzothiazole, although inferior to tetramethylthiuram disulfide, has given partial plant disease control.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.5254/1.3540145

Journal

Rubber Chemistry and Technology

Year

1943