Reclamation of Vulcanized Rubbers by Chemical Degradation. IX. Oxidative Degradation of cis-1,4-Polyisoprene by Phenylhydrazine-Iron(II) Chloride System

Degradation of cis-1,4-polyisoprene by phenylhydrazine-iron(II) chloride system was investigated in benzene solution at 30 °C in the air. Separate use of the two chemicals was much less effective for degradation. The number of chain scission was found to depend upon only the amount of phenylhydrazine, independent of that of iron(II) chloride, indicating that phenylhydrazine plays the leading part of the phenylhydrazine-iron(II) chloride system in the degradation. When iron(III) chloride was used instead of iron(II) chloride, the degradation became slower, but the number of chain scission was not significantly affected.