The Mode of Action of Disulfide Accelerators of Vulcanization

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Abstract
The catalytic power of organic compounds in general has up to the present time been studied much less extensively than that of inorganic compounds. For about the last ten years, however, the first author has, in collaboration with a number of his students, attempted to fill this gap, though so far efforts have been confined to explaining the mode of action of natural enzymes by means of comparative experiments with organic catalysts. As a result of this work, a theory based on experimental facts has been developed to explain in a satisfactory way the action of enzymes. The other phase of organic catalysis is, strictly speaking, a technical problem. Why for instance should it not be practicable to utilize organic catalysts more extensively than heretofore in industry? If this problem is to be attacked, it seems reasonable to start with the particular industry which already uses organic catalysts to the greatest extent. This is, of course, the rubber industry. The important accomplishments of the chemical industry with respect to the development of vulcanization accelerators is already common knowledge, and the important task at present is not simply to increase the great number of accelerators already known. A problem of more practical value would seem to be to study the mechanism of the acceleration of vulcanization, about which relatively little has been known heretofore.

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