Rubber, Polyisoprenes and Allied Compounds. II. The Molecule-Linking Capacity of Free Radicals and Its Bearing on the Mechanism of Vulcanization and Photo-Gelling Reactions
Abstract Ostromislensky discovered that benzoyl peroxide when heated with rubber to 140° brought about a species of vulcanization of the rubber, the chemical nature of which has been the subject of much conjecture and experimental investigation. It was thought at first that the process was essentially one of oxidation and, indeed, free benzoic acid derived from the peroxide was isolated by Ostromislensky from the reaction product; but van Rossem, Dekker, and Prawirodipoero found that, although much benzoic acid was liberated during the reaction, some became united with the rubber, and could afterwards be freed by saponification. Van Rossem and his collaborators, however, were unable to correlate the accumulated observations with the previously published generalizations of Gelissen and Hermans concerning the nature of the reactions between benzoyl peroxide on the one hand and numerous substances, including alcohols, organic acids, and saturated and benzenoid hydrocarbons, on the other; nevertheless, they agreed with Gelissen and Hermans on one point, viz., that to some extent cleavage of the peroxide with formation of benzoic acid probably occurred, and they suggested that the concomitant reaction was a dehydrogenation of the rubber, the latter possibly becoming cross-linked as a result (2C5H8+PhCO·O·O·COPh→—C5H7·C5·H7—+2PhCO2H). Subsequently, Ostromislensky, following useful observations by Bock, made a new examination of the reaction, and concluded that it proceeded according to the equation: