ABSTRACT: The rheological and extrudate behaviour of natural rubber/latex
reclaim blends were evaluated using a capillary viscometer . The study shows
that the viscosity of natural rubber decreases marginally on the addition of
latex reclaim while the variation of viscosity with shear rate is not affected.
The temperature sensitivity of the blends is not affected significantly with the
addition of latex reclaim . The extrudates of natural rubber/latex reclaim
blends are smooth up to the addition of about 50 wt. percent latex reclaim in
filled natural rubber compounds.
In natural rubber/high styrene resin microcellular sheets, part of
natural rubber was replaced by latex reclaim prepared from waste
latex products. The mechanical properties and cell structure of
the products were evaluated. It was found that latex reclaim can
replace about 30% of natural rubber without affecting the technical
properties of the microcellular sheets.
Waste latex products are converted to a processabto material by a novel
economical process developed in our laboratory , It contains rubber hydrocarbon
of very high quality and Is lightly cross -linked. Styrene-butadlene
rubber is mixed with latex reclaim In different proportions . The mechanical
properties are found to be improved up to 60 percent replacement of
styrene-butadlene rubber by latex reclaim . The curing of styrene-butadiene
rubber Is found to be accelerated by the addition of latex reclaim. The
processablllty study shows that the blends can be processed similar to
SBRINR blends.