The Oxidative Softening of Synthetic Rubber Latex
Abstract A method is described for plasticizing Buna S3 when still as a latex. A plasticization of Buna S3 to the Buna S4 stage is carried out in the presence of metal sols or alkyl phenols, and through use of air or oxygen-enriched air. Softening takes place under low gage pressure, at temperatures around 100° C, and at rates that are technically feasible. In contrast to Buna S4 that has been produced soft by means of polymerization control, the Buna S4 obtained through this softening process has certain advantages, e.g., higher elasticity values in heavily-loaded compounds. So-called recovery can be retarded by careful dosing with phenyl-2-napththylamine. The introduction of this process into the synthetic rubber industry, using continuous latex breakdown in a countercurrent reaction tube, is discussed.