Prevulcanised Latex vs Post-Vulcanisable Latex Compounds in Leaching and Drying

Manufacturer: Due to the length of our dipping lines, our oven length is too short for sufficient drying and leaching. Our local university advised that we should look into using prevulcanised latex. But we do not understand why? Would appreciate your simple explanation. Thanks.

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Here's my simple explanation:

This has a lot to do with the particle-particle integration of the rubber particles during drying. Unlike the post-vulcanisable latex compounds, a prevulcanised latex (PV) gives rubber films that are more porous due to lower extent of particle-particle integration (i.e. inter-entanglement and inter-diffusion of the rubber molecules of different particles).

As a result, latex films from PVs, when compared with those from post-vulcanisable latex compounds, will dry faster and are easier to leach.