International Rubber Conference 2008 (IRC 2008) - 20 to 23 October 2008

Malaysia, one of the largest producers of natural rubber and the established centre of rubber technology, has been given the privilege to host the most respected event in the world's rubber industry calendar - the International Rubber Conference 2008 (IRC 2008).

The Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB), is organising the International Rubber Conference 2008 to be held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia from 20 to 23 October 2008.

The International Rubber Conference 2008 features presentations from eminent rubber scientists and experts in the field of:

1) Rubber Physics and Engineering
2) Computer Simulation
3) Advanced Manufacturing
4) Rubber Biotechnology
5) Latex Science and Technology
6) Advanced Materials
7) Environment, Recycling and Industrial Ecology
8) Nanotechnology
9) Rubber Modification and Characterisation
10) Tyre and Tyre Retreading
11) Energy Conservation
12) New Evaluation and Test Methods
13) Processing and Specialty Rubbers

Please Click Here for more details.

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.

4th International Rubber Glove Conference & Exhibition 2008 (IRGCE) - 2 - 4 September 2008

THE CONFERENCE
The Conference will review and analyze, and provide critical information on the latest trends and development of the rubber glove industry, covering innovations, regulations and standards, productivity and competitiveness.
Leading R&D personnel, standards and regulatory experts, industry analysts and market players will present relevant technical / professional papers on the dynamic glove industry.
About 700 participants and delegates are expected at this event, which will create an opportunity for all players and stake-holders in the glove and related industries to interact and to foster a closer rapport.

THE EXHIBITION
The Exhibition will showcase the latest products and services in three categories: 1) Glove manufacturing industry, 2) Supporting and services industries in the glove industry, and 3) Disposable medical devices industry.
Click Here to get details.

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.

Mold Growth on Latex Gloves

Glove Importer: We import both medical and industrial grade latex gloves. We have discovered some of the gloves are packed from the factory while still wet which encourages the growth of mold on both the inside and outside of the glove. Obviously more attention to the drying process is required but the factory now wants to introduce a biocide into the manufacturing process to combat the formation and growth of mold. Some of the gloves are used in the food processing industry and in fact handle food ingredients.

The biocide is called Proxel GXL, .10% solution. Have you heard of this chemical or the application of this chemical for the problem described above?. Is it safe for the food manufacturing industry (.10%)?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): It is highly advisable to for the factory to ensure that the gloves they manufacture are properly dried before packing rather than resorting to the use of a biocide i.e prevention is always better than cure.

Also, the gloves must be properly leached (i.e. washed) otherwise dried gloves could eventually absorb moisture from the air leading to mold growth especially when the gloves are stored in warm and humid environment.

Proxel GXL is a widely used biocide in many aqueous based compounds and is classified as "relatively low toxicity via ingestion". However it has been reported to have caused skin irritation to some people.

Under normal circumstances, no biocide is required for gloves manufacturing.

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.

Michelman Acquired Water-Based Polyurethane Technology

Michelman announced the acquisition of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA-based Hydrosize Technologies, Inc. Hydrosize is a manufacturer of coatings including sizings, film formers, fixatives, binders as well as resins for the coating and composite industries. Hydrosize gives Michelman a waterborne polyurethane sizing technology designed specifically for the fibers and composites market. The polyurethane dispersion technology will complement Michelman's existing line of polyolefin-based solutions, and will be developed for applications in other markets including coatings and packaging.

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.

Waste rubber used to produce industrial oil

According to an article on vietnamnet.vn, "A research group from the Ministry of Construction’s Building Materials Institute has used waste rubber to produce diesel oil. The researchers, led by Dr Mai Ngoc Tam, have been conducting a project on thermolysis of rubber to help reduce environmental pollution caused by rubber. The project uses thermolysis technology to recycle waste rubber, including used bike and motor tires, into industrial oil. One kilo of waste rubber is estimated to turn out 0.4 kg of oil.

The group says results of an analysis of exhaust fumes from the rubber thermolysis furnace of the Institute for Tropical Technology and Environmental Protection have found the fumes do not pollute the environment. It showed that concentrations of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from the furnace meet Vietnam’s standards of atmosphere quality and industrial exhaust fumes. The research group has agreed to transfer the new technology to the Sai Gon Energy Industry and Environment Joint Stock Company, giving the company a system capable of recycling 200kg of waste rubber per hour.

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 Language of Rubber – Part 5 (Abrasion Resistance) By John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant)

Abrasion resistance is defined as the resistance of the rubber product to wearing when the surface is being rubbed with an abrasive surface of another object, under a given load and speed of abrasion.

The amount of the material being abraded away is compared with that of a standard specimen.

Although the standard test does not always correlate well to actual service performance, it is a good quality control test for products exposed to abrasion during service life such as industrial gloves, tire treads, conveyor belts, heels and soles, floor coverings,and sandblast host etc.

Abrasion resistance could sometimes be affected by a combination of other properties such as resilience, stiffness, thermal stability, cut and tear resistance.
One should be cautioned that excessive blooming of oil and/or wax or an under cured product might give a misleadingly good abrasion resistance during the test due to the abrasive being clogged and lubricated by the abraded material from the rubber surface.

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 Philippines to boost investments in rubber production

According to an article in GMANews.tv by Cheryl M. Arcibal, "The Philippines will be boosting investments in rubber production, helping industry efforts to supply a tenth of global demand by 2020. An official of a commercial crop program told reporters on Friday that the Philippines seeks to supply 10 percent of the total world demand—some 800,000 metric tons of rubber by 2020—from one percent currently.

The country is expected to earn $960 million in revenues, Rene Rafael Espino, GMA High Value Commercial Crops national program coordinator, told reporters on the sidelines of the 4th Asean Rubber Conference in Pasig City. "The government is investing P70 million this year for the industry and P220 million the next year," Espino said. He added that the government intends to shoulder 60 percent of the industry’s total investment requirement.

Espino also said that until the year 2020, the government is also aiming to increase the area of rubber plantation to one million hectares from the current 100,000. He added the government is encouraging Thai Hua Rubber Public Co. Ltd. to invest in the country. Sources from the conference also said that Bridgestone Corp., a Japanese rubber conglomerate and one of the world’s largest tire companies, is being asked to invest in the country."

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.

Simple Tests To Assess Processibility of Latex Compounds

Latex Dipped Products Manufacturer: We manufacture latex dipped products using NR, Nitrile and Neoprene latices. Please advise us on the suitable but simple tests we need to do to assess the processibility of the latex compounds.

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Good question. I suggest you conduct the following tests:

1) Latex compound viscosity using Ford Cup or Brookfield viscometer. You could also make your own flow cup. This would measure the over all latex colloidal stability.

2) Latex compound viscosity at elevated temperatures (e.g.35 to 45C). This measures the sensitivity of your compounds to heat. Depending on your own requirement, such heat sensitivity could be advantageous or disadvantageous.

3) Measure the pH of the latex compounds as it affects the solubility of some surfactants such as fatty acid stabilisers and hence the stability and wetting property of the latex compound.

4) Coagulum content.

5) The degree of compound prevulcanisation or maturity using solvent swelling method. Too little or too much of prevulcanisation is generally not recommended. The actual degree should be determined for each process and compound formulation.

6) There are other tests which I'm not revealing here.

There is no single or a combination of tests sensitive enough to predict accurately the processibility of a given compound except for the actual dipping process itself. However, with experience of actual production runs and information from the data accumulated from the above mentioned tests, one could take the necessary remedial actions if the behavior of the latex compound deviates from the norm.

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.

More rubber trees to be planted in Cambodia

The Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) held a meeting in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh on June 3 to discuss measures to speed up its rubber cultivation in the neighboring country" according to an article in Asia Pulse. Addressing the event, VRG Deputy General Director Tran Ngoc Thuan said the project, which targets 100,000ha of rubber in Cambodia, will generate more jobs and help reduce poverty for local people. He affirmed VRGs determination to ensure its rubber cultivation project is conducted as scheduled.

Representatives from a number of Cambodian ministries and provinces said they will create favourable conditions for VRG to successfully carry out its project. The conference was attended by representatives from Cambodian ministries and localities where VRG is conducting its project including Kampong Thom, Kratie and Mondulkiri.

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.