Production process of depolymerized natural rubber

Abstract

Described is a process for the production of depolymerized natural rubber, which makes it possible to obtain, at high reaction efficiency, of depolymerized natural rubber in the liquid form and having a narrow molecular weight distribution; and also a process for the production of depolymerized natural rubber which is free from odor or coloring peculiar to natural rubber and is also free from the danger of immediate allergy derived from protein. The process according to the present invention comprises adding a carbonyl compound to a natural rubber latex, and then subjecting the resulting natural rubber to air oxidation in the presence of a radical forming agent or adding a carbonyl compound to the latex of deproteinized natural rubber and then subjecting the deproteinized natural rubber to air oxidation optionally in the presence of a radical forming agent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.