Thermal-oxidative aging experiments on butyl rubber were conducted, and structural evolutions of the
rubber during aging were traced by real time infrared technique,and the resulting data were analysized by a 2D correlation
spectroscopy analysis. The results suggest that free radicals derived from saturated C-H and C-C bonds which
are attacked by oxygen atoms form slowly at the early stage of thermal aging. And it is a key step to determine the reaction
speed. After that, the carbonyl species are generated rapidly, which results in formation of aldehydes, ketones
and esters etc. and finally by degradation and oxidative. Based on a full understanding on the thermal-oxidative aging
mechanism of butyl rubber, we constructed elementary reaction equations and furthermore, oxidation kinetic models
according to mass action law of each elementary equation. The aging rate ratio of room temperature to high temperature
is obtained by calculation of Matlab program. By fitting the curves described from the oxidation kinetic models with
the data from FTIR tracing experimental for the aging process, it is found that both changes have the same tendency,
which promises an excellent prospect for predicting lifetime of materials.