Len,
I couldn't think of the term "cold vulcanizing" but that used to appear on many rubber patching kits.
From a Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/
"The formula for rubber cement varies according to its targeted application [usually latex in the US]. Those commonly used in office and art applications are usually non-vulcanizing and seldom differ between brands. However, they have been reformulated over time due to concerns over the toxicity of the chemicals involved, especially in regard to its use by children. Consumer-grade products generally no longer contain benzene because of its link to certain cancers. Instead, they tend to be based on less toxic solvents such as n-hexane and n-heptane.
Rubber cement based on n-heptane is very popular and ubiquitous in the United States, but is generally unknown and unavailable as a consumer product in the UK and some parts of Europe....
For tire patching, shoe repair, and other industrial applications, vulcanizing formulas are preferred. These contain chemical additives which enable them to cross-link and harden into a tougher, more resilient form."
I have to repair a tube that I patched on the road several weeks ago using the new cement in the latest Rema TipTop patch kit.
It looked and smelled like regular rubber cement and the first patch I tried wouldn't stick. I had to clean off the cement that I previously applied. It rolled off just like paper cement!
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
Leonard Diamond wrote:
> I guess its hard to argue with success but I always understood the liquid in
> patch kits to be cold vulcanizing fluid and not rubber cement. The
> difference being that the vulcanizing fluid partially melts the rubber
> allowing the patch to meld with the tube as opposed to stick to the surface.
> A quick google search show a place in Rockaway NY called Patchboy that will
> sell you an 8 ounce can (with brush) for $9.19. If you keep the top tightly
> closed it would last quite a while so why bother with rubber cement which is
> primarily for paper?
>
> Len Diamond
> Ridgewood, New Jersey USA