Yes, several Ionic liquids (ILs) can be used as solvents for natural rubber. ILs are highly versatile solvents with a wide range of potential applications due to their unique properties such as low volatility, non-flammability, high thermal stability, and excellent solubility for many organic and inorganic compounds.

One commonly used IL for natural rubber is 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl). This IL has been shown to dissolve natural rubber in concentrations up to 10% by weight and can be used as a solvent for rubber processing and polymer blending. Other ILs, such as 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][OAc]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][Tf2N]), have also been investigated for their potential as solvents for natural rubber.

Overall, using ILs as solvents for natural rubber shows promise for improving the efficiency and sustainability of rubber processing and production, as ILs are non-toxic and reusable. However, more research is needed to fully understand the properties and limitations of different ILs for this application.

Hi Tushar, Thanks for the answer. Do you have a reference for this?

Best

Gangadhar

It's also possible to dissolve natural rubber into switchable solvents, and then convert the rubber into a latex. See Green Chem (2017) 19, 1889. This is useful, for example, if the rubber has congealed and someone wants to convert it back into a usable latex.