The present invention relates to the sector of the industry for extracting and processing natural rubber, and other components, from plant material. In particular, the invention relates to a process for extracting resin and rubber from guayule and/or guayule type plants, which comprises harvesting, preserving and mechanically and chemically treating the parts of the plant, applicable both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale, characterized by significantly high quantity yields and high quality of the extracted products.

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining rubber from rubber-containing plant material, the method comprising the steps of subjecting a composition comprising rubber-containing plant material and a fermentation culture to conditions allowing anaerobic fermentation, wherein the composition preferably has a water content of less than 95 wt. %. The fermentation preferably does not involve movement of the rubber-containing plant material (or parts thereof), and preferably the fermentation is performed in the absence of oxygen ventilation. Additionally, it is preferred that the fermentation culture is cycled through the composition by percolation. A further step of the method involves obtaining the rubber from the composition.

Processes for recovering natural rubber from an aqueous natural rubber latex that contains extractables and one or more additives and that is essentially free of lignocellulosic plant material are described. Natural rubber in the latex is separated from the water. Preferably, the amount of non-rubber extractables in the natural rubber is reduced by one or more extraction steps yielding a dried natural rubber.

Processes for recovering natural rubber from an aqueous natural rubber latex that contains extractables and one or more additives and that is essentially free of lignocellulosic plant material are described. Natural rubber in the latex is separated from the water. Preferably, the amount of non-rubber extractables in the natural rubber is reduced by one or more extraction steps yielding a dried natural rubber.

The present invention relates to an integrated process for processing and utilizing every part of the guayule plant (Parthenium argnetatum) which comprises the following steps in sequence: separating the stem and branches from the leaves of said plant with a mechanical treatment; treating the leaves to produce waxes and essential oils, and a fraction containing cellulose, hemicellulose (carbohydrates) and, to a minor extent, salts, organic compounds and lignin; extracting from the stem and branches a liquid phase, so forming a first solid woody residue, indicated with bagasse in the present text; treating said first solid woody residue to prepare sugars, resin, rubber and lignin.

The present invention relates to an integrated process for processing and utilizing every part of the guayule plant (Parthenium argnetatum) which comprises the following steps in sequence: separating the stem and branches from the leaves of said plant with a mechanical treatment; treating the leaves to produce waxes and essential oils, and a fraction containing cellulose, hemicellulose (carbohydrates) and, to a minor extent, salts, organic compounds and lignin; extracting from the stem and branches a liquid phase, so forming a first solid woody residue, indicated with bagasse in the present text; treating said first solid woody residue to prepare sugars, resin, rubber and lignin.

The present disclosure provides for a method of purifying rubber from a plant that naturally produces rubber, the method including: a) contacting plant material with hot water or a dilute basic aqueous solution, thereby forming a plant material composition with a concentration of 3% or less of water extractable materials by weight and an inulin-containing composition; b) separating the plant material composition from the inulin-containing composition; c) pebble milling the plant material composition in the presence of enzymes; d) centrifuging the product of step c) to separate rubber from other material; and e) removing the rubber. Also provided herein is a product that can be obtained by any of the processes disclosed herein.

The present invention provides: a cationic natural rubber latex comprising cationic natural rubber microparticles in which the surfaces of natural rubber microparticles are coated by a cationic polymer, a weight average molecular weight of the cationic polymer being from 3000 to 150000, a concentration of the cationic natural rubber being from 30 to 70% by mass, a viscosity at 20 C. being 500 mPa.Math.s or less, and surface potential of the cationic natural rubber microparticles being 3 mV or less; and a tire puncture sealant comprising the cationic natural rubber latex and an acidic resin emulsion, a mass ratio of a solid content of the cationic natural rubber latex to a solid content of the acidic resin emulsion being from 90:10 to 10:90. Such tire puncture sealant has superior puncture-sealing ability, storage stability, and workability.

The present invention provides: a cationic natural rubber latex comprising cationic natural rubber microparticles in which the surfaces of natural rubber microparticles are coated by a cationic polymer, a weight average molecular weight of the cationic polymer being from 3000 to 150000, a concentration of the cationic natural rubber being from 30 to 70% by mass, a viscosity at 20 C. being 500 mPa.Math.s or less, and surface potential of the cationic natural rubber microparticles being 3 mV or less; and a tire puncture sealant comprising the cationic natural rubber latex and an acidic resin emulsion, a mass ratio of a solid content of the cationic natural rubber latex to a solid content of the acidic resin emulsion being from 90:10 to 10:90. Such tire puncture sealant has superior puncture-sealing ability, storage stability, and workability.

Disclosed herein are process for removing color bodies from an organic solution comprising guayule resin. The processes include the use of activated carbon.