Natural rubber graft copolymer synthesis - a review

Abstract

Interest in modifying natural rubber has dampened after the emergence and development of the plastics and synthetic rubber industries and the bottom fell out of the natural rubber market. The current modification is being epoxide and thermoplastic natural rubber (TPNR). In synthesizing TPNR several routes can be adopted, but with natural rubber grafting is one of the distinguished route. Practically all methods that have been adopted for the general synthesis of graft copolymers can be used for the synthesis of graft copolymers of natural rubber. This paper is intended to give a general idea on methods which can be utilised specifically for the synthesis of well defined and well characterized graft copolymers of natural rubber.