Degradation of polychloroprene/natural rubber (PCP/NR) blends by photo-Fenton process

The effect of light and FeCl3·6H2O on polychloroprene (PCP)/natural rubber (NR) blends in toluene solution were investigated to demonstrate the influence of each polymer on the degradation process. The contributions of total polymer concentration (Cp), temperature (T) and polychromatic light exposure (L) on the degradation process were investigated through a 23 factorial design approach. Degradation kinetics was examined by solution viscosity time data. FTIR spectroscopy and TGA were used to characterize the degradation. The exposure of the PCP/NR blend solution containing FeCl3·6H2O to light induces degradation in the polymers. A decrease of up to 70% in solution efflux time at constant temperature and without aggregation or phase separation was observed. PCP degradation by-products amplify the degradation of NR, as evidenced by the decrease in the PCP/NR 1:99 (w/w) solution efflux time, which was larger than that of the pure NR solution. The film cast from the solution exposed to light was thermally less stable than the one which was cast without FeCl3·6H2O.