Waste latex sludge from centrifuged residue, which is a null by-product of concentrated latex manufacturing, was digested to retrieve the rubber by using sulfuric acid. It was found that the acid concentration and digestion time have an effect on the amount and purity of the retrieved rubber. Sulfuric acid at concentrations of more than 10% by weight with a digestion time of 48 hours completely...

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that more recently developed rubber dam systems (OptraDam ® Plus and OptiDam™) are faster and easier to handle, and that the quality of isolation is not decreased. The rubber dam systems were applied in standard conditions on a dental simulator in several model clinical situations. The time of preparation, application and removal were measure...

An investigation was conducted to determine the influence of recycled scrap tire rubber on the engineering properties of controlled low strength material (CLSM). With control over the ultimate compressive strength of CLSMs being key for applications such as backfilling utility trenches where re-excavation is often necessary, incorporation of scrap tire rubber into the CLSM mixture is a viable w...

Rubber material generally behaves as an electrical insulator, but vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF) is known for its electrical conductivity. Thus, we compounded styrene-butadiene rubber and carbon nanofiber (VGCF), and studied the relationship between strain and the DC electrical resistivity of vulcanized rubber filled with carbon nanofiber. No change of hardness was observed in hardness tests. ...

Electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) sensing technique based on smart piezoelectric materials has emerged as a potential tool for the implementation of an online monitoring system for structural health monitoring. Many nondestructive methods have limited capabilities in monitoring of the rubber aging in a continuous manner. In this study, the feasibility of the EMI sensing technique for the onlin...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of Elastoguard silver-releasing rubber in preventing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation in water. Biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa under various conditions in an in vitro model system was compared for silver-releasing and conventional rubber. Under most conditions tested, the numbers of sessile cells attached to silver-releasing ...

New products must be more quickly and cheaply developed, manufactured and introduced to the market due to the pressure of global competition. This work demonstrates a technique for producing accurate wax patterns made from a high precision silicone rubber mold. Silicone rubber mold is cut into five components, which is the minimum number of components for assembling the silicone rubber mold. Th...

This review intends to provide an overview of historical and recent achievements in studies of microbial degradation of natural and synthetic rubber. The main scientific focus is on the key enzymes latex-clearing protein (Lcp) from the Gram-positive Streptomyces sp. strain K30 and rubber oxygenase A (RoxA) from the Gram-negative Xanthomonas sp. strain 35Y, which has been hitherto the only known...

The rubber boom across much of Southeast Asia has led to environmental destruction, and the resultant crash in the price of rubber has destabilised livelihoods. We investigated the necessary factors required to enable a transition towards a more sustainable model for rubber cultivation in Southwest China (i.e. the 'greening' of rubber cultivation), using a framework for the integrative study of...