Study on the thermal degradation of epoxidized natural rubber

The thermal degradation and thermooxidative degradation of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) were studied by thermogravimetry (TG). In the thermal degradation of ENR, the initial temperature of weight loss T₀ = 1.20B + 348, the temperature of maximum weight loss rate T_p = 1.07B + 392, and the final temperature of weight loss T_f = 0.77B + 445. The C_p, which corresponds to the degradation rate at temperature T_p, increases along with the heating rate B and its mean value is 43%, but C_f, which corresponds to the degradation rate at temperature T_f, is not affected by the heating rate, and its average value is close to 100%. As in the thermooxidative degradation, T₀ = 1.84B + 246, T_p = 0.30B + 378, and T_f = 2.27B + 584. The value of C_p increases along with the heating rate B and its mean value is 36%, but C_f is not affected by the heating rate and the average value approximately equals 100%. The thermal degradation in nitrogen could be a one-step reaction, whereas the thermooxidative degradation has a multiple-step reaction. The reactive environment has a great effect on the thermal degradation of ENR and the difference of the mechanisms of the two reaction systems is obvious. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:2207–2211, 1998