Long Chain Branching in Natural Hevea Rubber-Determination by Gel Permeation Chromatography

Abstract

Abstract The hevea brasiltensis rubber contains, besides the insoluble branched entities, linear and branched molecules in the soluble fraction. The branching characteristics found by analyzing fractions of different molecular weight of rubber coagulated from freshly tapped latex, stabilized with hydroxylamine hydrochloride are: (a) molecules with molecular weights above 6.5×104−1.0×105g/mol (depending on the branch points functionality) are branched and molecules below these limits are linear. (b) The relationship between number of branch points and the logarithm of molecular weight is linear. (c) The branching density is not independent of molecular weight, as has been assumed for several polymers, but it has a maximum. The maximum branching density found in the soluble fraction is between 10.2×10−6 and 31.6×10−6mol/g, which varies little with the molecular weight; it is possible that molecular species with higher values become insoluble. (d) Branching results ˜λ and gel content (36%) of the whole rubber gave a total of 93–98% of branched entities (sol and gel) and 2–7% of linear species.