Accelerated aging of natural rubber

The Cyclization of Natural Rubber

The effects of solvent, temperature, time, weight percent of catalyst on the rate and mechanism of cyclization of natural rubber (NR) was studied in toluene and xylene solutions having tin tetra chloride catalyst (SnCl4). Iodometric titration show, with 8% SnCl4 (based on polymer weight) cyclization occurs, leaving 27.4% of the total unsaturation. Infrared spectra of c...

Accelerated Heat Aging Study of Phenolic/Basalt Fiber Reinforced Composites

One of the greatest impediments to use polymer-matrix composites is their susceptibility to degradation when exposed to the elevated temperatures and the limited knowledge on the thermal and mechanical properties of these composites at such temperatures. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of accelerated heat aging on the tensile properties of the Woven Basalt/Phenolic (WBP) ...

Natural Rubber Latex Allergy

Natural rubber latex allergy.

Immediate hypersensitivity to natural rubber latex (NRL) has become increasingly common during the last 20 years. It is currently one of the most frequently encountered occupational diseases among the healthcare workers and a problem even in other occupations where protective gloves are used. Several groups at high risk for developing NRL allergy have been defined, including healthcare workers ...

Natural rubber-clay nanocomposites

The mechanical properties of non-vulcanized natural rubber and dialyzed natural rubber-clay nanocomposites have been studied by uniaxial deformations to evaluate the reinforcement efficiency of the clay. We show that while non-rubber molecules contribute to auto-reinforcement, removal of these molecules improves significantly the performance of clay as reinforcement agent. These mechanical prop...