Provided herein are organic solvent-based processes for the removal of rubber from non-Hevea plants such as TKS. By the use of the processes, solid purified rubber can be obtained that contains 0.05-0.5 weight % dirt, 0.2-1.5 weight % ash, and 0.1-4 weight % resin (when it has been dried so as to contain 0.8 weight % volatile matter).

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.

Disclosed herein are process for increasing the molecular weight of guayule natural rubber that is solubilized in an organic solvent solution. The processes utilize shear desolventizing to achieve the increase in molecular weight.

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

Provided herein are organic solvent-based processes for the removal of rubber from non-Hevea plants such as TKS. By the use of the processes, solid purified rubber can be obtained that contains 0.05-0.5 weight % dirt, 0.2-1.5 weight % ash, and 0.1-4 weight % resin (when it has been dried so as to contain 0.8 weight % volatile matter).

Provided herein are organic solvent-based processes for the removal of rubber from non-Hevea plants such as TKS. By the use of the processes, solid purified rubber can be obtained that contains 0.05-0.5 weight % dirt, 0.2-1.5 weight % ash, and 0.1-4 weight % resin (when it has been dried so as to contain 0.8 weight % volatile matter).

Disclosed is a sulfanyl sulfonic acid compound represented by the following formula (1) or a metal salt thereof. In the formula, m represents an integer of 2 to 7, n represents an integer of 3 to 10, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group. ##STR00001##

Disclosed is a sulfanyl sulfonic acid compound represented by the following formula (1) or a metal salt thereof. In the formula, m represents an integer of 2 to 7, n represents an integer of 3 to 10, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group. ##STR00001##

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.