Rubber prices climb as floods curb production

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

According to an article in bloomberg.com by Supunnabul Suwannakij, "Rubber rallied to the highest level in almost 14 months on concern that flooding in Thailand, the world’s largest producer, will reduce supply. Futures on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange gained as much as 2.7 percent to 250 yen a kilogram ($2,804 a metric ton), the highest level since October 2, 2008. Flooding hit four provinces in southern Thailand after heavy rain started falling in the region on November 19, the Royal Irrigation Department said yesterday on its web site. “Lower supply from Thailand due to floods in southern provinces is a bullish factor driving the prices higher,” Navarat Kaewpratarn, senior marketing official at Future Agri Trade Co., said by phone from Bangkok."

Adhesives and Sealants Market Update - As the economic downturn continues, demand for adhesives and sealants remains soft

As the years approaches the end, the adhesives and sealants industry in the USA has endured and experienced another very tough and challenging year. The three major industries and markets where adhesives and sealant are mainly used are industrial sectors, the automotive industry and the housing market. As these markets continue to struggle during the economic down turn, many manufacturers of adhesives and sealants are reporting very soft demand for their products.

There is also significant overcapacity in the industries concerned, from suppliers to manufacturers to customers, so things will remain fiercely competitive even during a recovery.

To make the situation worse, the global reduction in manufacturing output among major industrial customers in particular in Western Europe and North America significantly impacted the development of the specialty adhesives and surface treatment segment. This is particularly so in the case of the automotive and electronics sectors, and also the metals industry, with the associated markets having shrunken by up to 20%.

Similar negative impact on the manufacture of adhesives and sealants has been the housing market and as a result, the slow sale of existing homes has curtailed professional activity in the use of adhesives and sealants due to a slowdown in the turnover of homes.

On the brighter side, during tough economic times, many consumers often put off hiring contractors for projects and opt instead to save money and to undertake these projects themselves. Hence the DIY segment offers the most opportunity in this type of market.

As regards the future, a recently published study shows U.S. demand for specialty adhesives to be projected to expand 4.4% annually to $3 billion in 2013, with volume reaching 705 million pounds. Although specialty adhesives are a small component of the overall adhesive industry in terms of volume, representing approximately five percent of U.S. adhesive demand in 2008 they are more significant with respect to market value due to their relatively high prices.

Among specialty adhesive product types, cyanoacrylates and similar adhesives are expected to achieve the fastest gains in market value through 2013, mainly due to rapid growth in the medical applications.

Washable Rugs Backing Compound

Manufacturer: We are manufacturer of carpets and rugs. We are now using a compound based on natural rubber latex with fillers and thickener. The backing compound cannot withstand repeated washing of the rugs. Any advice please?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): You need to review your formulation of the latex compound. The filler level must be carefully determined to ensure flexibility while maintaining certain degree of stiffness without cracking tendency when the rug is bent.

You need to incorporate suitable vulcanising curatives to enhance the longevity of the binding and backing rubber compound. Antioxidant must be carefully selected to ensure sufficient ageing and washing resistance. Wingsty L at 1.5 phr is recommended.

The choice of accelerators is also important but at your request, the detailed vulcanisation recipe is not revealed here.

You are at the site for answers and solutions to all your problems in natural rubber latex processing and manufacturing of industrial, household and medical gloves, condoms, catheters, baby teats and baby pacifiers, toy balloons, latex foam products, latex threads etc.

GRP Snd Bhd - The One-Stop-Centre For Your Adhesive and Sealants Needs

Established in 1979, GRP Sdn Bhd have been growing steadily to become a leading provider of superior quality solven and water based adhesives, sealants and underseals.

GRP products are used everyday as a solution to a diversified range of applications needs. Our range of brands include DUNLOP, JEBSEN and others which are known for superior and consistent quality.

Contact Adhesives are available for general bonding applications for furniture, decoration, construction and light industries. Dunlop CA Adhesive is ideal for bonding Formica, Rubber, Cork, Leather, Fibreglass, Polyurethane Foam, PVC Sheet, Carpet, Leathercloth, Leather, Cork and EVA to Wood, Painted or Unpainted Metal or Concrete.

You could also choose from a wide range of Mastic Sealants that provide a continuous compression seal between components which are subject to constant pressure. Dunlop DP 576 Mastic Sealant provides a quick, clean, economical, water-tight seal that does not require any maintenance. Insulation Sealants are used in the air-conditioning and automotive industires to prevent condensation and dripping on cold pipes and valves.

For more details, CLICK HERE

MMA Grafted Natural Rubber Latex

Manufacturer: We heard of some latex products manufacturers using grafted Natural Rubber latex. Can you tell us more about this?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Many research works have been done on graft polymerisation of many monomers on natural rubber latex. However one monomer that is being used for commercialisation of the grafted latex is methy methacrylkate.

The level of polymethy methacrylate is usualy about 50%, although other levels could be used. The main applications of grafted NR latex are in aghesives and as reinforcing agent especially for tear stregth, modulus, stiffness and abrasion resistance.

You could purchase this from Revertex Malalysia Sdn Bhd. Thier product is trade named Graftex 49 with 49% of PMMA.

You are at the site for answers and solutions to all your problems in natural rubber latex processing and manufacturing of industrial, household and medical gloves, condoms, catheters, baby teats and baby pacifiers, toy balloons, latex foam products, latex threads etc.

Rubber price increases as improved car sales raise tire demand

Thursday, November 5, 2009

According to an article in bloomberg.com by Aya Takada, "Rubber increased for the first time this week as improved car sales in the U.S. boosted speculation that demand will grow for the commodity used in tires. Futures in Tokyo soared as much as 3.2 percent, the largest increase since October 30. U.S. October auto sales improved from a 23 percent slide the previous month, with the seasonally adjusted annual rate exceeding a pace of 10 million for the first time without the benefit of federal rebates, research company Autodata Corp. said yesterday [November 3]. “The market is factoring in a recovery in auto sales,” Takaki Shigemoto, a commodity analyst at research and investment company JSC Corp., said today [November 4] by phone. “Consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars may push up sales further.”

Celanese announces emulsions expansion in China

Dallas, TX -- Celanese Corp., a leading, global chemical company, Monday announced it is expanding its vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) manufacturing facility at its Nanjing, China, integrated chemical complex. The investment will support continued growth plans for the Celanese Emulsion Polymers business throughout Asia, including China, India and Southeast Asia and Australia. The expanded facility will double the company’s VAE capacity in the region and is expected to be operational the first half of 2011.

Rubber prices set to rise this week

According to an article in btimes.lcom.my on Ocober 24, "Malaysian rubber prices are set to rise further next week, with SMR 20 expected to hit 800 sen a kg, a dealer said. The market, he said, will see more foreign demand coming in, as the tight supply scenario in major producer countries has prompted traders to stock up.

"We saw continuous interest. We have received a few enquiries including from China, South Africa, Pakistan and South Korea," he said, adding that prolonged rains had led to lower production. During the week just ended, local rubber prices traded higher, extending the uptrend for five straight days on speculative buying.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the Malaysian Rubber Board official physical noon price for tire-grade SMR 20 rose 19 sen to 787 sen a kg from 768 sen last week and latex in bulk added 10.5 sen to 502.5 sen a kg from 493 sen previously. The unofficial closing price for tire-grade SMR 20 increased 20 sen to 787 sen a kg from 767 last Friday and latex in bulk appreciated 19.5 sen to 502.5 sen per kg from 493 sen last week."

ASTM Committee D11 Has Developed a New Standard for Measuring Chemical Allergens in Medical Gloves

It has been known for some years that residual accelerators used as part of the curative system in medical gloves could be a leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis in health care workers and other users.

A new ASTM International standard has been developed to allow rubber glove manufacturers to monitor the level of residual accelerators in their end products so that they could make manufacturing changes to reduce the allergen levels.

The new standard, D7558, Test Method for Colorimetric/Spectrophotometric Procedure to Quantify Extractable Chemical Dialkyldithiocarbamate, Thiuram and Mercaptobenzothiazole Accelerators in Natural Rubber Latex and Nitrile Gloves, was developed by Subcommittee D11.40 on Consumer Rubber Products, part of ASTM International Committee D11 on Rubber. Not only would D7558 be useful to medical glove manufacturers, but also to dermatologists and many end users of medical gloves.

Viscometers for Latex Compounds

Manufacturer: Under what circumstances do we use Brookfield Viscomter and Ford Cup for measuring the viscosities of our latex compounds?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Generally the rotational viscometers such as Brookfield Viscometer is used to determine the apparent viscosity of non-Newtonian fluid that has shear thinning and thixotropic properties (See ASTM D 2196).

On the other hand, if your latex compound is Newtonian or near-Newtonian especially when it is considerably diluted with water, you could use Ford Cup which is simpler (See ASTM D 1200).

For both methods, temperature of the sample during test must be recorded as this could affect the viscosity.

Natural Rubber Latex for Reconstituted Leather

Manufacturer: We are looking into the possibility of making the so-called reconstituted leather using waste leather scrap. Can you advise us what the process entails and the choice of the binding agent?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Briefly the process used involves precipitation (coagulatiuon) of diluted natural rubber latex in the "leather slurry" using aluminium sulphate as the coagulant. The slurry is then filtered, pressed and dried.

I found the evaporated latex concentrate to be superior to the normal centrifuged latex concentrate because the former has a wider range of rubber particle size i.e. there are more smaller rubber particles and hence bigger particle surface area in the evaporated latex. There is only one manufacturer for such latex in the world, namely, Revertex Malaysia.You can contact them by clicking the following link:
http://www.revertex.com.my/. I'm sure they would be more than pleased to tell you more about the process of making reconstituted leather.

Incidentally, reconstituted leather has been used for shoe insoles, heel lifts amd also as stiffeners for heels and toes.

You are at the site for answers and solutions to all your problems in natural rubber latex processing and manufacturing of industrial, household and medical gloves, condoms, catheters, baby teats and baby pacifiers, toy balloons, latex foam products, latex threads etc.

The Chemical Professional’s Code of Conduct (ACS)

Chemical Professionals Acknowledge Their Responsibilities

To the Public

Chemical professionals have a responsibility to serve the public interest and safety and to further advance the knowledge of science. They should actively be concerned with the health and safety of co-workers, consumers and the community. Public comments on scientific matters should be made with care and accuracy, without unsubstantiated, exaggerated, or premature statements.

To the Science of Chemistry

Chemical professionals should seek to advance chemical science, understand the limitations of their knowledge, and respect the truth. They should ensure that their scientific contributions, and those of their collaborators, are thorough, accurate, and unbiased in design, implementation, and presentation.

To the Profession

Chemical professionals should strive to remain current with developments in their field, share ideas and information, keep accurate and complete laboratory records, maintain integrity in all conduct and publications, and give due credit to the contributions of others. Conflicts of interest and scientific misconduct, such as fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism, are incompatible with this Code.

To Their Employer

Chemical professionals should promote and protect the legitimate interests of their employers, perform work honestly and competently, fulfill obligations, and safeguard proprietary and confidential business information.

To Their Employees

Chemical professionals, as employers, should treat subordinates with respect for their professionalism and concern for their well-being, without bias. Employers should provide them with a safe, congenial working environment, fair compensation, opportunities for advancement, and proper acknowledgment of their scientific contributions.

To Students

Chemical professionals should regard the tutelage of students as a trust conferred by society for the promotion of the students’ learning and professional development. Each student should be treated fairly, respectfully, and without exploitation.

To Associates

Chemical professionals should treat associates with respect, regardless of the level of their formal education, encourage them, learn with them, share ideas honestly, and give credit for their contributions.

To Their Clients

Chemical professionals should serve clients faithfully and incorruptibly, respect confidentiality, advise honestly, and charge fairly.

To the Environment

Chemical professionals should strive to understand and anticipate the environmental consequences of their work. They have a responsibility to minimize pollution and to protect the environment.

Natural Colloids for Latex Thickening

Manufacturer: We have been using celluloses and polyacrylates as latex thickeners for years but due to pressure from our customers, we are now looking for natural colloids for thickening our latex compounds. Can you please suggest some that we could try?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Natural colloids are available in a number of forms but there are basically three main ones that have so far been found to be of significant importance in latex technology. These are casein, starch and aliginates.

Casein which is derived from cow's milk could be dissolved in alkai such as ammonia or potassium hydroxide. Water soluble borax-modified casein is also available. Starch must be used with care because it might reduce the latex stability. Alginates are usually used as their alkali metal salts.

Needless to say, unlike celluloses and polyacrylates, all these natural materials are more prone to bacteriological attack and hence bacteriacides must be used to maintain the shelf life of both the colloids (solution) and your latex compounds otherwise it might lead to degradation, putrfaction and foul odours very often accompanied by a drop in latex stability.

Please be forwarned that some consumers are unduly concerned over the use of casein due to the mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

You are at the site for answers and solutions to all your problems in natural rubber latex processing and manufacturing of industrial, household and medical gloves, condoms, catheters, baby teats and baby pacifiers, toy balloons, latex foam products, latex threads etc.

Nanoparticles could pose threat to humans: scientists

VIENNA (AFP) - – They can make fabric resistant to stains, improve the taste of food and help drug research, but nanoparticles could also pose a danger to human health, experts warned.

Susanne Stark, of the Consumer Information Association, told a seminar in the Austrian city of Salzburg that companies should be forced to indicate on labels whether a product contains the tiny particles.

"There are more questions than answers on the effects of nanoparticles" on human health, the chemist said.

Cosmetic and food products should indicate whether their products contain nanoparticles by 2012, she said.

Nanoparticles, measuring no more than 100 nanometres (0.00001 centimetre), have helped to revolutionise how everyday products are made.

The particles are used to make stain-resistant paint or creamy cosmetic and food products. They can also change colour to indicate whether a product has expired.

But their risk to humans remains largely unknown.

Nanoparticles can enter the body through the mouth and nose, the digestive system or the skin, and spread inside the body through blood vessels, said Hans Peter Hutter, a doctor specialised in environmental hygiene in Vienna.

"These tiny particles could without a doubt go all the way to the placenta," he said. But he warned that little was known about their behaviour inside human tissue.

PolymerLatex Increasing Prices for NBR Latices

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Germany -- PolymerLatex is increasing prices for its range of NBR latices worldwide by 16 percent, effective from October 1, 2009. The company said the increase of 16 percent is in addition to any previously announced increase. This action is necessitated by the continued escalation in the costs of key raw materials and the continued pressure on margins experienced in the past months.

How To Handle Natural Rubber Latex With Low Stability?

Manufacturer: I am an Engineer in latex dipping goods manufacturer. We have some problem in our latex processing especially at fall of leaf climate (July - Sept). We found that latex during this period tend to get skinning faster than usual in production line affecting our product quality. We have already tried to add more stabilizer but it did not work. Please your advise us, Mr. John.

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Looking at the latex specification you sent me, the quality of the latex left a lot to be desired. No wonder you're facing the problem you described. There at least 3 parameters you need to discuss with your latex suppliers. For example, they have to improve the MST of the latex at their end before delivering to you. I would normally reject latex with such specification.

I need to further discuss with you in more details regarding what your latex producer/supplier needs to do.

During compounding and dipping the pH of the latex should be maintained at around 10.0 with the right choice of alkali while maintaining the latex temperature at below 30°C. However these might still not work if the in-coming latex is of low quality.

New Graphene Nano-fillers for Conductive Applications

Graphene - a nanomaterial derived from graphite - has outstanding thermal and electrical conductivity, combined with other properties like strength and barrier, which make it an exciting new material in development for conductive applications. Graphene is a one-atom thick sheet of carbon, first isolated from graphite in 2004 by researchers at the University of Manchester. Academic and industrial researchers around the world are studying graphene and looking for ways to apply its unique properties, and more companies are beginning to manufacture graphene materials.

Manufacturers such as Vorbeck Materials Corp.,XG Sciences Inc.and Graphene Industries Ltd. use different proprietary processes, and properties of the resulting graphene materials depend on variables like degree of oxidation.

In general, graphene's carbon-network composition makes it highly conductive and its two-dimensional geometry gives it a high surface area (between 700 and 1700 m2/g for Vor-x™ compared to 200 to 500 m2/g for CNTs, for example). In composites, this high surface area allows graphene to improve properties like conductivity, barrier, and strength and to reduce a polymer's coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) at low weight loadings.

Brookfield Offers Two Courses on Viscosity Measurement for Latex

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Middleboro, MA - Brookfield, the world standard for viscosity measurement and control, offers two courses that provide users of Brookfield instrumentation with the hands-on knowledge to get the most out of their viscosity test methods.

These day-long training sessions are presented in easy-to-understand terms that give attendees the working know-how to verify and improve upon the data required for meaningful research and development and successful quality control testing. These courses are offered at Brookfield’s facility in Middleboro, MA, and at major metropolitan areas across the U.S.

The company said arrangements can also be made to conduct the course at customers’ facilities where content can be adapted to their specific product applications. The two courses offered are: Practical Course on Viscosity Measurements and Applied Course on Viscosity Test Methods. Visit www.brookfieldengineering.com/services/educational-programs today or call 800.628.8139 or 508.946.6200 for course information and registration.

Hartalega Continues to Grow

One of the world's largest manufacturers of Nitrile medical gloves, Hartalega Holdings Bhd is spending US$40 million over the next two years in their production expansion programme to meet the strong demand for their gloves especially from the European markets.

Hartalega, which makes gloves predominantly for the healthcare industry, currently has four plants with a combined total of 33 production lines. A fifth factory is now under construction to accommodate 12 new high-capacity dipping lines.

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