Bonding composition comprising a sulfur impregnated particulate solid

1. A curable composition comprising

a) one or more reactive components that cure upon exposure to suitable conditions;

b) a sulfur impregnated particulate solid;

c) optionally a solvent;

d) at least one polyolefin selected from the group consisting of halogenated polyolefins and halosulfonated polyolefins;

e) a film former component comprising the combination of at least one non-halogenated hydroxy group-containing resin together with at least one crosslinking agent; and

f) components i) or ii), wherein components i) or ii) are

i) at least one aromatic nitroso compound, at least one aromatic nitroso precursor compound and combinations thereof; or

ii) at least one compound comprising at least one alkoxy silane moiety and at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of an aromatic nitroso, an aromatic nitroso precursor and combinations thereof.

2. The curable composition of claim 1 wherein the sulfur impregnated particulate solid is selected from the group consisting of: sulfur impregnated clays, sulfur impregnated silicates, sulfur impregnated aluminates, sulfur impregnated charcoals, sulfur impregnated carbon blacks and combinations thereof.

3. The curable composition of claim 1 wherein the sulfur content of the particulate solid is in the range of from about 0.5 to about 20% wt/wt of the total weight of the sulfur impregnated particulate solid.

4. The curable composition of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur impregnated particulate solid has a BET surface area of 700 m 2 /g and 1000 m 2 /g as determined by the ASTM method D6556-10.

5. The curable composition according to claim 1 wherein said aromatic nitroso compound is selected from the group consisting of m-dinitrosobenzene, p-dinitrosobenzene, m-dinitrosonaphthalene, p-dinitrosonaphthalene, 2,5-dinitroso-p-cymeme, 2-methyl-1,4-dinitrosobenzene, 2-methyl-5-chloro-1,4-dinitrosobenzene, 2-fluoro-1,4-dinitrosobenzene, 2-methoxy-1-3-dinitrosobenzene, 5-chloro-1,3-dinitrosobenzene, 2-benzyl-1,4-dinitrosobenzene, 2-cyclohexyl-1,4-dinitrosobenzene and combinations thereof.

6. The curable composition according to claim 1 wherein said aromatic nitroso compound is encapsulated.

7. The curable composition of claim 1 wherein the alkoxy silane moiety is of the general structure:

wherein a is from 1 to 3, b is from 0 to 2, with the proviso that a+b=3; each R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, and C 3 -C 24 acyl, preferably from C 1 -C 4 alkyl and wherein when a ≧1 at least one R 1 is not hydrogen; and each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 24 alkyl and C 3 -C 24 acyl, preferably from C 1 -C 4 alkyl.

8. The curable composition according, to claim 7 wherein the alkoxy silane moiety is of the general structure:

wherein n is from 1 to 20; a is from 1 to 3, b is from 0 to 2, with the proviso that a+b=3; each R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, and C 3 -C 24 acyl, and wherein when a ≧1 at least one R 1 is not hydrogen; each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 24 alkyl and C 3 -C 24 acyl, X is O or S; Y is O, S, or N(R 3 ); and R 3 is a moiety comprising nitrosobenzene, quinone oxime or quinone dioxime.

9. The curable composition of claim 1 further comprising:

g) a compound comprising at least one moiety selected from an aromatic nitroso, an aromatic nitroso precursor and combinations thereof, and moieties selected from the group consisting of:

(i) at least one phosphonate moiety and

(ii) at least one phosphinate moiety.

10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the phosphonate-containing or phosphonate-containing compound g) is of the general formula:

wherein u is from 0 to 20; A is a direct bond, O, or S; R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, and C 3 -C 24 acyl, preferably from C 1 -C 4 alkyl; R 5 is selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 1 -C 24 alkoxyl and C 3 -C 24 acyl; and R 6 is a moiety comprising nitrosobenzene, quinone oxime or quinone dioxime.

11. The curable composition of claim 1 further comprising:

d1) at least one copper compound; and

e1) at least one aromatic nitroso precursor.

12. The curable composition of claim 11 wherein the copper compound is selected from the group consisting of Cu(I) compounds, Cu(II) compounds, and Cu(0) compounds which are capable of being in situ oxidised to a Cu(I) or Cu(II) compound and combinations thereof.

13. The curable composition of claim 1 further comprising:

d2) at least one halogenated polyolefin or a film former component comprising at least one non-halogenated hydroxy group-containing resin together with at least one crosslinking agent;

e2) at least one epoxysilane having at least one terminal alkoxy silane group; and

h) at least one bis-silane.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the bis-silane is represented by formula,

(R 5 O) (3-q) (R 4 ) q Si—B—Si(R 6 ) p (OR 7 ) (3-p)

wherein p is 0 to 3, q is 0 to 3, B represents a divalent linkage group comprising 1 to 24 carbon atoms and at least one heteroatom selected from N, S or O, each R 4 and each R 6 is independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, C 1-24 alkyl, C 2-24 alkenyl, C 1-24 alkoxyl or C 3-24 acyl, and each R 5 and each R 7 is independently selected from C 1-24 alkyl or C 3-24 acyl.

15. A process for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a curable composition as defined in claim 1 ;

b) applying the curable composition to at least one part of the surface of the first substrate; and

c) contacting said surface of the first substrate with a surface of a second substrate, to which the cured composition is optionally applied, under conditions of heat and pressure sufficient to create a cured bond between the two substrates.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the first substrate is an elastomer which is vulcanised or crosslinked prior to bonding to the second substrate.

17. The process of claim 15 wherein the first substrate is a rubber, and the second substrate is a metal surface.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the rubber is vulcanised or crosslinked concurrently with bonding to the metal surface.

19. A process for crosslinking elastomeric materials, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a curable composition as defined in claim 1 ;

b) mixing the composition with at least one elastomeric material to form a curable mixture; and

c) exposing said curable mixture to conditions of heat and pressure sufficient to crosslink the elastomeric material.

20. An assembly, comprising at least two substrates bound together by the cured product of the curable composition of claim 1 .

21. The cured product of a curable composition according to claim 1 .