Chemical Derivatives of Synthetic Isoprene Rubbers

Abstract

Natural rubber was the subject of intensive investigation with respect to its chemical reactions and the preparation of commercially useful derivatives. General reviews in this field have been written by Fisher, Schidrowitz, Jones, Sibley, Memmler, Dawson and Schidrowitz, and Farmer. Before World War II several of these reaction products, such as rubber hydrochloride (Pliofilm), isomerized rubber (Pliolite), and chlorinated rubber (Parlon), had been marketed successfully. During the past five years drastic restriction of the commercial use of natural rubber for chemical derivatives prompted the study of synthetic rubbers for this purpose. Endres recently reported on chlorinated and cyclized synthetic lubbers, with special emphasis on GR-S as the starting material. This paper deals particularly with derivatives of polyisoprene and other isoprene-containing synthetic rubbers which behave chemically very much like natural rubber because of the similarity in structure. It is shown that GR-S and other butadiene-containing synthetic rubbers, under the same conditions, are either nonreactive or behave differently. Because of its similarity to the natural rubber product, isomerized synthetic polyisoprene has been designated Pliolite S-1. Chlorinated synthetic polyisoprene is referred to as Pliochlor.