A method for producing a masterbatch includes feeding (e.g., continuously feeding) a first composition containing an elastomeric latex (e.g., a natural rubber latex) to a coagulation chamber; and feeding (e.g., continuously feeding) a second composition containing a particulate filler (e.g., carbon black) to the coagulation chamber. The carbon black is fed directly from a sonication chamber to the coagulation chamber and/or a sonication device facilitates ultrasonic mixing within the coagulation chamber. The first composition and the second composition are mixed in the coagulation chamber to form the masterbatch. The second composition may be fed to the coagulation chamber at a pressure of at least about 300 psig and/or a velocity of at least about 100 feet per second. The masterbatch may be dry mixed with an additional elastomer to form an elastomeric composite blend.

A system may include a container receiving at least one substance. A system may include a heating assembly heating the at least one substance. A system may include a plurality of electrodes; a power source connected to the plurality of electrodes, wherein an electrical field between the plurality of electrodes is created by providing power to the plurality of electrodes; and one or more heat-dispersing bodies dispersed in the at least one substance, the one or more heat-dispersing bodies including: a polymer material and a carbonous material dispersed in the polymer material, the carbonous material generating heat within the container responsive to the electrical field between the plurality of electrodes.

This invention relates to an elastomeric article with improved lubricity and donnablity and reduced stickiness/tackiness. According to the methods of the invention, the internal surface of the elastomeric article is coated with a polyisoprene coating. The coating of the invention is formed from synthetic polyisoprene rubber that may or may not contain minor amounts of other components. The coating is preferably directly bonded to the underlying elastomeric article.

An initial processing of natural raw rubber through an initial processing machine, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a coagulated latex which contains water and volatile compositions; (b) dewatering the coagulated latex through a screw-pressing process to remove free water; (c) forming a first pretreated latex material; (d) aging the first pretreated latex material through an aging process to remove water and volatile compositions; and (e) forming a final product of aged latex material. The screw-pressing process makes use of the temperature and pressure increase along the elongated channel structure. The aging process makes use of the further temperature and pressure increase of the rubber materials, together with the screwing effect of the screw-shaft component, the squeezing effect of the nozzle and additional heating at a particular location, which is around the mouthpiece of the nozzle to complete the aging process, which is energy saving, effective and efficient.

An article having a textured surface and a method for manufacturing such an article is provided. The article comprises a polymeric layer coated on at least a portion of the article, a plurality of cavities formed in the polymeric layer, wherein each cavity in the plurality of cavities have a size between about 50 microns to about 2000 microns, and wherein a majority of the plurality of cavities have encircling perimeter ridges, and a plurality of channels formed in the polymeric layer between the encircling perimeter ridges.

An elastomeric article is formed from a blend of nitrile rubber and polychloroprene rubber. The elastomeric article can be a glove, such as a medical exam glove. The elastomeric article is softer than a conventional nitrile elastomeric article. The elastomeric article is formed from a blended rubber latex emulsion of nitrile and polychloroprene. The blended rubber latex emulsion may be free of sulfur and vulcanization accelerators.

A shoe cover is a natural latex article with reduced amount of sulfur cross linking agent and accelerators including zinc dithiocarbamate that break catalytically soluble sulfur S.sub.8 sulfur rings forming sulfur linear chains. Surfactants present in the pre-vulcanization composition wets natural polyisoprene particles and permeates small sized sulfur into the interior of these particles thereby pre-vulcanizing the particles. The latex emulsion also has post-vulcanization composition with accelerators that crosslink between particles during the post vulcanization cure cycle. The dipped natural polyisoprene article is substantially uniformly cured both in the inter-particle and intra-particle regions and reliably exhibits high cross link density, uniform distribution of double bonds and zinc segregation at the boundaries or original particles. The natural rubber films exhibit high tensile strength, tensile modulus, tear strength, elongation with low modulus of the shoe cover. The bottom surface of the shoe cover is etched to produce a slip resistant surface.

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.

The present invention relates to a polymer latex for dip-molding applications obtainable by free-radical emulsion polymerization of a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising at least one conjugated diene and at least one ethylenically unsaturated nitrile compound in an aqueous medium in presence of seed latex particles having a glass transition temperature (mid point temperature Tmg) measured by DSC according to ASTM D3418-03 of 50 C. to 50 C. wherein the seed latex particles do not contain structural units derived from ethylenically unsaturated nitrile compounds, to a method of preparing said polymer latex, to articles made by using said polymer latex and to a method for preparing dip-molded articles from said polymer latex.

A method of fabricating a three-dimensional single, multiple, and gradient metallic object includes mixing a photocurable resin with or dissolving anhydrous metal salt powder to form a metal salt resin, receiving a digital model of the metallic object, receiving a mask image video of the digital model, the mask image video comprised of a collection of two-dimensional mask images that each represent a cross-sectional area of the metallic object, projecting the mask image video and a light beam into a tank containing the metal salt resin, and printing the metallic object with the metal salt resin from the tank as a build platform positioned above the tank moves upward, wherein each cross-sectional area of the metallic object is selectively cured with the light.