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.

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