Carboxylic Acid Functionalized Butyl Rubber: From Synthesis to Applications

Matthew John McEachran, The University of Western Ontario

Abstract

Butyl Rubber (RB) is a copolymer of isobutylene (IB) with small percentages of isoprene (IP). Typically these IP units serve as sites for the covalent cross-linking of the rubber, but they can also serve as sites to further functionalize RB. These modifications can expand the potential applications of RB. This thesis describes the synthesis of carboxylic acid functionalized RB and some properties and applications of these materials.