How To Make Polychloroprene Softer

Manufacturer: We are manufacturing dipped products using Polychloroprene. Please advise how we could improve the softness and flexibility of the rubber especially at low ambient temperatures.

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Polychloroprene is one of the few synthetic elastomers that has the closest tensile properties to that of Natural Rubber. To make it even softer, you could either use petroleum based plasticizers such as light naphthenic or paraffinic process oil or ester-type of plasticizers such as di-n-butyl phthalates.

Please take note that although the petroleum based plasticizers help in preventing crystallization of polychloroprene it offers little advantages in overcoming the stiffening effect at low temperatures. On the other hand, ester-type of plasticizers are more efficient in this respect.

However, since the market is now avoiding phthalates due to the perceived toxicity issue, you should also look into other non-phthalates plasticizer such as Hexamoll® DINCH from BASF. If you need more details, please click HERE.