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Advances in natural rubber latex foam technology

Conference Paper · July 2011

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4 authors, including:

Evelyn Lim Hui Mei Manroshan Singh

Malaysian Rubber Board Malaysian Rubber Board
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Advances in Natural Rubber
Latex Foam Technology
Evelyn Lim H.M

Manroshan Singh, Roslim Ramli and Amir-Hashim M.Y.

Key Advances in NR Latex Technology

Dunlop Rubber UK
Untiedt F.H. 1st patented in 1929 Talalay
US patent 1 777 945 (1927) mechanical agitation or US Patent 2,432,353
passing air to perforated whipping of the latex (1947)
plate & agitate latex into a foam
concentrate into latex generate gases by
compound chemical reaction
Production line - foam
 Major types of foam
in the market
 100 % natural rubber latex (NRL)
 Blends of synthetic & NRL foam (blends of SBR
and NRL)
 Viscoelastic polyurethane foam (made from
reaction of isocyanates, polyol and water)
 NR foam property mainly depends on either
Talalay or Dunlop process
HOW TO REDUCE
CHEMICALS?

Alternative
chemicals
Possible for curing
STEAM CURING blend to
alter
Alternative properties
heating
system
 Today presentation

• Heat infrared ray (HIR) drying system for thin latex foam rubber -
Manroshan Singh, manroshan@lgm.gov.my
1
• Soft and slow recovery latex foam (SS foam) - Evelyn Lim,
evelyn@lgm.gov.my
2
• Minimization of compounding ingredients in latex foam production –
Dr Amir amir@lgm.gov.my
3
Heat infrared ray (HIR) drying system for thin latex
foam rubber -Manroshan Singh, manroshan@lgm.gov.my
 Infrared radiation?

• Thermal radiation that emits heat

• Although infrared radiation is not visible, humans can sense it - as
heat
• Used in various field e.g: night vision devices, thermal imaging, heat
therapy for human health
 Heat Infra-red (HIR) machine

Gelling oven Drying oven

Gelling oven temp = between 70 to 90 0C

Drying oven temperature = between 100 to 200 oC
Process time (from pouring foamed latex to exit) = approximately 15 minutes
ADVANTAGES OF THE HIR SYSTEM

STEAM HIR
 Sample of thin latex foam

Heat Infrared Ray system for thin latex foam rubber

Soft and slow recovery latex foam (SS foam) - Evelyn
Lim, evelyn@lgm.gov.my
 SEM micrograph

Soft NRL Foam Firm NRL Foam

Soft Blend Foam Firm Blend Foam

 Key Benefits

Niche market
Conform to object contour sector for
with slow recovery features natural rubber
latex based
foam product
Conventional technology (no Softer than Dunlop made
additional capital investment) natural rubber latex foam

Environmental
friendly material
 Indentation test to
determine foam hardness

Foam sample indented

Instron machine with indentor footer
 Hardness
300 NR
Blend
250

200
Hardness (N)

150

100

50

0
Soft Firm
Foam Density

 Addition of PUD into NRL softens the latex foam

 Elongation at break
350 NR

Blend
300
Elongation at break (%)

250

200

150

100

50

0
Soft Firm
Foam Density

 Elongation at break value of the soft foam is similar, while the firm blend
foam showed a slight low value
Slow recovery feature

Conventional NRL foam

SS foam
 Therapeutic/ultra
soft pillow

Potential
commercial
Thin foam sheets

product

Contour shoe
soles
 Minimization of compounding ingredients in latex foam production –
Dr Amir amir@lgm.gov.my
Malaysian Patent Application No. PI 201003199

BASED GLOVE SULPHUR LESS SYSTEM

70 PART SULPHUR FORMULATION
30 PART
Process described in the Patent Claims

Maturation of NR latex compound A Maturation NR latex compound B

(peroxide system) (sulphur system)

Mixture of compounded NR Latex A with NR latex B at ratio of 70: 30

Addition of 1.0 pphr foaming agent and left for stirring for an hour

Addition of 1.0 pphr foaming agent and frothing of NR latex mixture using
mechanical agitation until required foam density

Addition of secondary gelling agent

Addition of zinc oxide and sodium silicofluoride

Transfer into mould

Vulcanization in air oven at 110°C

Peel out the foam

 Properties
SEM – Foam structure
Test Value Method
Indention index, (N) 136 MS679
Accelerated ageing, (%) +2.28 MS679
Elongation at break, (%) 300 MS679

Compression set, (%) 3.87 MS679

Density, (g/cm3) 0.12

Product benefit:

-Less chemical used in the bulk product due to peroxide based latex system
 Summary

• Heat infrared ray (HIR) drying system for thin latex foam rubber – Simpler
alternative method to produce thin latex foam product
1

• Soft and slow recovery latex foam (SS foam) – Product variability using Dunlop
process, softer foam normally associated with Talalay process.
2

• Minimization of compounding ingredients in latex foam production – Potential

reduction of chemicals in NR foam product by introducing non-sulphur cured system
3
 Khàp khun
Terima Kasih

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