This paper discusses the role of metal oxides (MeO) in the cross-linking process and useful properties of chloroprene and butadiene rubber (CR/BR) blends. Iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃), iron(II,III) oxide (Fe₃O₄), silver(I) oxide (Ag₂O) or zinc oxide were used. It has found that every proposed metal oxide can be used as a cross-linking agent of the CR/BR blends. The degree of cross-linking was evaluated by means of vulcametric parameters, equilibrium swelling in selected solvents and Mooney–Rivlin elasticity constants. The properties of the cured CR/BR products, such as tensile strength, stress at elongation, tension set under constant elongation and compression set, were also investigated. The results revealed that all CR/BR/MeO vulcanizates were characterized by a high cross-linking degree and satisfying mechanical properties. The most important advantage of obtained rubber goods is very high resistance to flame. The increase in the oxygen index value for the CR/BR/Fe₂O₃, CR/BR/Fe₃O₄ and CR/BR/Ag₂O vulcanizates compared to the standard cross-linked chloroprene rubber showed that presented metal oxides provided a positive effect on the resistance to flame of the new CR/BR/MeO composites. Satisfactory properties of the studied blends are related to the presence of the interelastomer bonding of both rubbers in the compositions.

The presented article describes the method of synthesizing new ionic liquid based on a biguanide cation and a tiocyanate or benzoate anion with antimicrobial properties. The structure of obtained new ionic liquid was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, the article describes a simple method of producing an antibacterial textile materials and PE-based film with the addition of an ionic liquid.

This paper discusses the curing behaviors, mechanical and dynamical properties of composites containing chloroprene rubber (CR) and butadiene rubber (BR) reinforced with mineral fillers. The iron(III) oxide nanoparticles were used as a crosslinking agent of the CR/BR blends. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of nano-iron(III) oxide (nano-Fe₂O₃) as a new crosslinking agent while producing elastomeric materials with good mechanical properties and reduced flammability. The CR/BR (chloroprene rubber/butadiene rubber) blends were filled with silicas from natural resources (chalcedony, Neuburg silica earth) or silicas used in elastomer technology in many fields (aerosil, ultrasil). The results revealed that all composites were characterized by satisfactory tensile strength, tear resistance, and high resistance to fire. The filler dispersion in the elastomer matrix was carried out by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the possibility of the filler–filler or filler–rubber interaction in the designed compositions was determined using the Payne effect and the Mullins effect.

This paper discusses the cross-linking and functional properties of elastomer composites containing chloroprene rubber (CR) and butadiene rubber (BR) cured in the presence of zinc (Zn) and reinforced with mineral fillers. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of zinc as a new cross-linking substance with the simultaneous production of elastomer materials with good mechanical properties and a reduced fire hazard. The article concerns the study and explanation of the dependencies influencing the processing and functional properties of unfilled or filled elastomer blends containing different elastomers ratio or different zinc’s amount. The following fillers were used: silica, kaolin, chalk and montmorillonite. The results revealed that the cross-linking degree of CR/BR blends decreased with the increasing amount of butadiene rubber in the blends. The mechanical properties of the cured blends depended on the proportion of elastomers in the composites, the zinc amount, and the presence and type of filler. The flammability of CR/BR/Zn vulcanizates has been investigated before and after the filling. The parameters assessed by the oxygen index method and cone calorimetry, characterizing the behavior of the tested CR/BR/Zn vulcanizates under fire conditions, have shown that they constitute a low fire hazard and can be considered as non-flammable materials.

The manuscript describes a simple, economical method of producing textiles resistant to dirt and contamination (wine, raspberry juice, dye). The manuscript compares the use of the combined PDMS/TiO₂ and PDMS/SiO₂ methods. A formulation in the form of an aqueous dispersion of copolymers of acrylic acid esters with vinyl acetate was used as a crosslinking agent. There are no identical methods in the literature reports. The self-cleaning effect of the fabrics was assessed on the basis of the contact angle measurement and the effective removal of impurities. The obtained results showed that the presence of both PDMS and SiO₂ and TiO₂ nanoparticles generated excellent hydrophobicity on a textile fabric with a water contact angle 147.3̊ and 143.5̊, respectively. Additionally, the introduction of an antibacterial substance to the finish allowed us to obtain the hydrophobic coating that inhibits the growth of microorganisms.