A water-based hydrogel polymer coating and a method of application to natural rubber or other elastomeric latex products are provided. The water-based hydrogel polymer is mixed with a blend of at least one elastomeric material to provide a hydrogel polymer blend composition. The water-based hydrogel polymer blend composition is applied in a single application to an elastomeric article, such as gloves, without additional solvents in the polymer blend composition and without a separate acid or chemical priming step. The water-based hydrogel coating herein provides increased lubricity to facilitate improved wet and dry donning of the elastomeric article.

A process for manufacturing a masterbatch comprises the following steps: (a) bringing at least one initial polymer comprising at least one carbon-carbon unsaturation into contact with at least one 1,3-dipolar grafting agent bearing at least one nitrile oxide dipole in the presence of at least one organophosphorus additive selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid triesters, phosphonates, phosphinates, phosphine oxides and the mixtures of these compounds, and (b) recovering the masterbatch obtained in the preceding step. The masterbatch and compositions containing it and also tires comprising such compositions are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a process for devulcanizing a vulcanized rubber mixture, comprising the following steps: A) providing or producing a vulcanized rubber mixture, B) comminuting the vulcanized rubber mixture to a granular material composed of vulcanized rubber particles, where the vulcanized rubber particles have a maximum particle diameter of 100 mm, C) extruding the vulcanized rubber particles produced in step B) in a twin-screw extruder at a shear rate of less than 100 s.sup.−1, where the temperature of the vulcanized rubber particles during extrusion is less than 200° C., to give a devulcanized rubber mixture having a temperature above 100° C., D) cooling the devulcanized rubber mixture in a further kneading unit, so as to give a devulcanized rubber mixture having a temperature in the range from 50° C. to 100° C. The invention further relates to an apparatus for performing the process and to the use of the apparatus for devulcanization of a vulcanized rubber mixture.

A curable composition includes an olefin-aromatic vinyl compound-aromatic polyene copolymer satisfying conditions (1) to (4) and an additive resin, which is at least one of a hydrocarbon-based elastomer, polyphenylene ether, olefin-aromatic vinyl compound-aromatic polyene copolymerized oligomer, and aromatic polyene-based resin. (1) The number average molecular weight of the copolymer is 5000 to 100000. (2) The aromatic vinyl compound monomer has 8 to 20 carbon atoms, and the content of the unit of the monomer is 0 to 70 mass %. (3) The aromatic polyene is selected from polyenes having 5 to 20 carbon atoms and a plurality of vinyl and/or vinylene groups in the molecule, and the content of the groups is 1.5 to 20 pieces per number average molecular weight. (4) The olefin is selected from olefins having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and the total monomer units of the olefin, aromatic vinyl compound, and aromatic polyene is 100 mass %.

An ultra-light graphene-rubber foam particle for soles is prepared from, by weight, 60-65 parts of natural rubber, 8-12 parts of isoprene rubber, 8-12 parts of butadiene rubber, 6-8 parts of styrene butadiene rubber, 0.8-1.0 parts of modified graphene, 0.08-0.12 parts of poly(N-vinylacetamide), 0.8-1.0 parts of silicone oil, 3.0-3.5 parts of inorganic nano-particles, 1.2-1.5 parts of activated zinc oxide, 0.8-1.0 parts of zinc stearate, 1.0-1.2 parts of stearic acid, 0.8-1.0 parts of cross-linking agents, 2.0-3.0 parts of flow promotors, and 1.5-1.8 parts of foaming agents. According to the invention, the modified graphene is uniformly dispersed into the rubber materials, so that the ultra-light graphene-rubber foam particle has good thermal stability, wear resistance and tensile strength, the permanent compressive-deformation performance and thermal contraction resistance are improved, and the weight is reduced by over 50%.

An example method of forming a biodegradable component includes extruding a mixture of biodegradable material and water through a die. The method further includes dividing the extruded mixture to form a plurality of biodegradable pellets. The method further includes forming the plurality of biodegradable pellets into a component. The water acts as a binding agent to bind the plurality of biodegradable pellets to one another.

Methods for treating a cured inner liner as well as treated, cured inner liners resulting from such methods are disclosed. Also disclosed are tires containing the treated inner liners. The methods include treatment of the lower surface of inner liner surface with a rubber-containing liquid to produce a rubber-containing film thereupon.

A medical rubber composition can contain, comprise, consist, or consist essentially of: (a) an isobutylene-isoprene rubber: (b) a diene-based rubber; and a silica having a BET specific surface area not lower than 130 m.sup.2/g. An amount of (a) the isobutylene-isoprene rubber contained in 100 parts by mass of a rubber component composed of (a) the isobutylene-isoprene rubber and (b) the diene-based rubber can be larger than 30 parts by mass and smaller than 55 parts by mass.

A foam containing a nitrile group-containing conjugated diene copolymer and a urethane polymer, wherein relative to 100 wt % of the sum of the nitrile group-containing conjugated diene copolymer and the urethane polymer, the nitrile group-containing conjugated diene copolymer is present in an amount of less than 90 wt % and the urethane polymer is present in an amount of more than 10 wt %, the nitrile group-containing conjugated diene copolymer contains ethylenically unsaturated nitrile monomer units in an amount of more than 31 wt %, the foam has a density of 0.08 to 0.30 g/cm.sup.3, and in observation of an arbitrary cross section of the foam, air bubble cross sections present in the cross section have an average diameter of 350 μm or less, and the number of air bubble cross sections with a diameter of 0.6 mm or more present in the cross section is 0.062 per mm.sup.2 or less.

The present invention generally relates to an eco-friendly wearable article comprising a nutrient complex capable of efficiently able to reduce or eliminate methane gas emission during biodegradation of the article, and a method of making the eco-friendly wearable article containing the nutrient complex. Preferably, the nutrient complex typically comprises anionic sulphate ions and cationic salts of iron(II) and copper(II), thereby facilitating methane oxidation in an anaerobic environment such as a landfill.