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.

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