The kinetics of low-temperature (60-100°C.) thermal degradation of deproteinized and deresinified petroleum ether soluble fraction of natural rubber in two chemically inert solvents, cyclohexane and trans-decalin, have been studied. The changes in Mw, A2, and (r-2-)½at various stages of degradation have been obtained from the lightscattering data. The rate constants and the energy of activation for chain scission have been calculated from the observed variation in Mu. The scission has been found to be random and the average energy of activation is 25.8 kcal./mole. This low-energy requirement suggests the presence of weak links in the rubber molecule which get ruptured at low temperature
