Editing Vulcanization (section)

==Vulcanization of polychloroprene==
The vulcanization of [[neoprene]] or [[polychloroprene]] rubber (CR rubber) is carried out using metal oxides (specifically [[magnesium oxide|MgO]] and [[zinc oxide|ZnO]], sometimes [[lead(II,IV) oxide|Pb<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>]]) rather than sulfur compounds which are presently used with many natural and [[synthetic rubber]]s. In addition, because of various processing factors (principally scorch, this being the premature cross-linking of rubbers due to the influence of heat), the choice of [[accelerator (chemistry)|accelerator]] is governed by different rules to other [[diene]] rubbers. Most conventionally used accelerators are problematic when CR rubbers are cured and the most important [[accelerant]] has been found to be [[ethylene thiourea]] (ETU), which, although being an excellent and proven accelerator for polychloroprene, has been classified as [[reprotoxic]]. From 2010 to 2013, the European rubber industry had a research project titled SafeRubber to develop a safer alternative to the use of ETU.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Safer Alternative Replacement for Thiourea Based Accelerators in the Production Process of Chloroprene Rubber |website=cordis.europa.eu |url=https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/243756 |access-date=2024-04-25}}</ref>