Problems in Dipping with Polychloroprene Latex

Manufacturer: We are manufacturers of latex dipped products using both NR latex and polychloroprene latex. While we are happy with our NR latex-based products, we are encountering some problems with our polychloroprene latex compounds. We are not able to overcome the problems of surface roughness and horizontal lines. Would appreciate your input on how we should approach these problems.

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Dipping with polychloroprene (CR) latex requires special attention to the rate of dipping and withdrawal of formers in the latex dip tank. Vibration of the formers must be kept to the minimum if this could not be totally eliminated.

Also, the wetting properties of  CR latex should be improved by judicious addition of wetting agents (i.e. surfactants). Good examples of such surfactant are sodium salt of sulphated methyl oleate and sodium alkyl sulphate.

For more details, you have to refer to my report on "Dipping with Polychloroprene Latex".