What are the benefits of Crosslinking?
When polymer chains are not crosslinked, the chains have the ability to slide past each other when exposed to various elements. This can include; heat, abrasion, or chemical solvents. The crosslinks lock all of the polymer chains together so they no longer have the freedom to rearrange themselves. For an example, if you were to use non crosslinked wires under the hood of a car, an environment full of drastic temperature changes, oils and chemicals, the wires’ insulation would break down and essentially fall off, exposing the bare wire. This is because, in the harsh environment of being near a running engine, the polymer chains can warm up and slide past each other, or oils and chemicals can work their way in between the polymer chains. This would result in fires or damage to your vehicles delicate electronics. If those same wires were crosslinked, the polymer chains would all be stuck together, so the warmth of the engine, or the grease and oil near the engine would not be able to sepa
