Modification of Rubber by Reaction with Maleic Anhydride

Abstract The reaction between maleic anhydride and rubber has been studied in solution, by milling and by heating in the solid phase. However, as is most often the case with chemical derivatives of the rubber hydrocarbon, the operating conditions that were employed only yielded products exhibiting considerable impairment to the physical properties characteristic of rubber (especially its high elasticity) as a result of secondary reactions of scission, cyclization and crosslinking. It has subsequently been shown that it is possible, under certain conditions, to minimize these injurious effects, both in the case of the reaction in solution between natural rubber and maleic N-methylimide and in that of the reaction by milling between synthetic olefinic elastomers and maleic anhydride. Inspired by these studies, we have undertaken to re-examine, on more precise chemical bases, the reaction between the rubber hydrocarbon and maleic anhydride.