TREATMENT OR CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF RUBBERS

Description

C08C covers chemical and physical treatment processes applied to natural or synthetic rubber polymers to alter their properties or performance characteristics. This includes vulcanization, cross-linking, grafting, blending with other polymers or additives, and structural modifications such as halogenation or oxidation. The subclass encompasses both batch and continuous treatment methods intended to improve elasticity, durability, processing behavior, or functional properties of rubber materials. Adjacent classes C08F (macromolecular compound synthesis) and C08L (polymer compositions and blends) are distinguished by focusing on the modification of pre-formed rubber rather than polymerization reactions or final formulated compositions.