Mathematical Modeling of Thermal Oxidative Degradation of Polybutadiene in Solution

Abstract

A new mathematical model of the process of degradation of diene rubbers is proposed as the basis for the design of industrial reactors used for this process. It describes a homophasic thermal oxidative process that occurs in a polymer-solvent system under the action of atmospheric oxygen in the presence of an initiator. A mathematical description of the rate constants of the reaction elementary steps is proposed, taking into account the cage effect. The parameters of reaction rate constants in terms of their correlation with the initial and current viscous average molecular masses are estimated.