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ZnBr 2 ‐catalyzed chemical effects in poly(acrylonitrile‐ co ‐butadiene)
Author(s) -
VegaCantú Yadira,
Hauge Robert,
Norman Lewis,
Billups W. Edward
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.12220
Subject(s) - acrylonitrile , nitrile rubber , nitrile , polybutadiene , natural rubber , polymer chemistry , elastomer , bromide , materials science , hydrolysis , chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , copolymer
The excellent chemical properties and resistance to oil of poly(acrylonitrile‐ co ‐butadiene), or nitrile–butadiene rubber (NBR), has led to the extensive use of these elastomers as O‐ring material in the oil extraction industry. The degradation of NBR gaskets is known to occur during the well completion and oil extraction process when they are exposed to bromide fluids such as ZnBr 2 ‐based completion fluid. Samples of NBR, polyacrylonitrile, and polybutadiene were exposed to ZnBr 2 ‐based completion fluid and analyzed by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and diffuse reflectance IR. These analyses showed that the ZnBr 2 completion fluid promoted the hydrolysis of the nitrile group to form amides and carboxylic groups. The carbon–carbon double bonds in NBR were unaffected after short exposure to ZnBr 2 ‐based completion fluid but were quickly hydrated in acidic bromide mixtures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1250–1257, 2003