THE CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYDIENES OBTAINED WITH LANTHANIDE-BASED CATALYSTS

Polyisoprene and polybutadiene samples, prepared from the respective m onomers using lanthanide-based catalysts, have been analyzed in terms of microstructure, glass transition temperatures and stabilities to th ermo-oxidative degradation. Quantitative determination of 1,4-cis/tran s, 1,2- and 3,4-contents have been made from the LR spectra of the pol ymers. Attempts to use H-1 and C-13 NMR and Raman spectroscopy to anal yze the microstructure of the materials has at best proved only partia lly successful. TGA and IR spectroscopy have been used to study the in fluence of catalyst residue on the thermo-oxidative degradation of the polymers.