A new hydrogenation system consisting of hydrazine hydrate and sodium periodate has been developed for hydrogenation of nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) latex by diimide reduction technique. The optimization of the reaction conditions was obtained. The influences of the concentration of reactants, reaction time, and temperature on hydrogenation degree were investigated. The results indicated that hydrogenation degree of the product (HNBR) can be extended to 95% through this new method. In addition, 1H-NMR and infrared spectra confirmed that C?C double bonds in NBR were successfully hydrogenated without reduction of the CN group. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013