The Influence of Structure on the Chemical Activity and Vulcanizability of Butadiene Polymers

Abstract

Abstract 1. Differences between the chemical reactivities of 1,4- and 1,2-structures of butadiene are found in the reactions with perbenzoic acid, iodine chloride, and sulfur. 2. The interaction of perbenzoic acid with solutions of butadiene polymers is represented by kinetic curves with an initial region of a high rate, mainly corresponding to the reaction of the double bonds of 1,4-structure, and a final linear region of a low rate, characterizing the reaction of the double bonds in the vinyl side chains of 1,2-structure. By extrapolation of the linear region to the ordinate axis it is possible to determine the relative contents of the 1,4- (and hence of the 1,2-) structure in the polymer. 3. The kinetic curves for the interaction of the polymer solutions with iodine chloride are of analogous form. The initial region of the kinetic curve represents addition at the double bonds, while the linear region corresponds to the substitution reaction. By extrapolation of the linear region to the ordinate axis it is possible to determine the actual double bond content of the polymer. 4. The kinetic curves for iodine liberation are also of similar form ; here the linear region corresponds to the substitution reaction, and the initial region corresponds to the cyclization reaction. The amount of iodine liberated in this reaction is a linear function of the content of the 1,2-structure in the polymer. 5. Mainly the double bonds of the 1,4-structure react when sulfur interacts with the polymer solutions. The total rate of sulfur addition is a linear function of the content of the 1,4-structure. 6. The activation energy for sulfur addition increases with increasing relative content of the 1,2-structure in the polymer. 7. Formation of sulfur crosslinks in vulcanizates occurs mainly as the result of reactions in the 1,4 polymer structure. In consequence, the degree of crosslinking ΔE/ΔS is a linear function of the relative content of 1,4-structure in the polymer.