The invention provides a novel hydrophilic polymer and latex polymer blend coating formulation and compositions thereof, and their use on various devices (e.g., prophylactic and medical devices) to form hydrophilic and flexible coatings with durable lubricity.

Methods to make a silica elastomer composite with a destabilized dispersion of a never-dried, or as-produced, precipitated silica are described, along with silica elastomer composites made from the methods. The advantages achieved with the methods are further described.

A masterbatch manufacturing method comprises an operation in which rubber latex and a carbon black slurry containing a compound according to Formula (I), below, are mixed.

##STR00001##

At Formula (I), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each indicates a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbons, an alkenyl group having 1 to 20 carbons, or an alkynyl group having 1 to 20 carbons. R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different. M.sup.+ indicates sodium ion, potassium ion, or lithium ion.

A method for producing a wet rubber masterbatch uses a single-screw extruder. The single-screw extruder includes a screw, and an external cylinder in which a slit extended along the length direction of the external cylinder (the screw-shaft direction) is formed in an internal wall surface of the external cylinder, and when the width of the slit is represented by A and the clearance between a crest of the screw and the internal wall surface of the external cylinder is represented by B, the following expression (1) is satisfied:
0<AB(Y)/AB(X)<0.9(1)
wherein AB (Y) is the product of A and B at a downstream side along the screw-shaft direction of the external cylinder, and AB (X) is the product of A and B at an upstream side along the screw-shaft direction of the external cylinder.

According to a method for the manufacture of a prophylactic article, especially of a glove, from a (carboxylated) diene rubber, at least one layer of a (carboxylated) diene latex is applied on a former and the (carboxylated) diene latex is cross-linked with a cross-linking agent, wherein a mercapto-functional siloxane polymer is used as cross-linking agent.

Compositions are disclosed herein, for example, comprising oxidized insoluble alpha-glucan and a rubber component, wherein crystalline insoluble alpha-glucan is used to produce the oxidized insoluble alpha-glucan component(s). Additional compositions disclosed herein include those comprising oxidized insoluble alpha-glucan and a rubber component. Methods are further disclosed for preparing these compositions, as well as various applications of using them. Other compositions comprising oxidized crystalline insoluble alpha-glucan are also disclosed.

A coated balloon with color and shimmering effects and process of making the same. A balloon may be placed on a mould apparatus. A balloon having a rubber ink solution applied to the surface by a dipping process allowing the entire surface of the latex balloon to be coated by the rubber ink solution. The balloon having specific amount of glitter rotationally applied to the entire surface. The latex balloon coated, treated and cured to allow for the ink and glitter to remain affixed to the entire balloon surface in a deflated and expanded state.

A foaming process for converting fibrous material into a cellular foam structure includes mixing fibrous material and a solvent-based binding agent to form a mixture; saturating the mixture with a pressurized gas to form a gas-saturated mixture; expanding the gas-saturated mixture by reducing the pressure of the pressurized gas to form an expanded mixture with voids in the fibrous material; and curing the expanded mixture to set the fibrous material and drive off the solvent to provide a stable network of fibrous material having cushioning properties.

A binary process for manufacturing dipped latex product. The binary process disclosed herein eliminates the influence of any level of pre-vulcanization on the outcome of the dipping process whether using natural or synthetic latex. The binary process includes preparing a first latex mixture Formulation A including latex, one or more accelerators, and one or more surfactants, but without curing agents; and preparing a second latex mixture Formulation B including latex, one or more curing agents, and one or more surfactants, but without curing accelerators. The process further includes dipping one or more formers into the Formulations A and B separately in order to form a plurality of coatings/layers of the Formulations A and B, and later on curing the plurality of coatings/layers on the formers to form the dipped latex products, which can be a condom, glove, balloon, catheter, finger cot, surgical tubing, baby bottle nipple or dental dam.

A first tire member manufacturing method includes an operation in which a pre-coagulation rubber latex containing carbon black, for which a ratio of specific surface area as determined by nitrogen adsorption N.sub.2SA (in units of m.sup.2/g) to an amount of iodine absorption IA (in units of mg/g) is not less than 1.00, is coagulated to obtain a coagulum; an operation in which a compound according to Formula (I), below, is added to the water-containing coagulum; and an operation in which the compound according to Formula (I), below, is dispersed within the coagulum. ##STR00001## In Formula (I), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each indicates a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbons, an alkenyl group having 1 to 20 carbons, or an alkynyl group having 1 to 20 carbons, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different, and M.sup.+ indicates sodium ion, potassium ion, or lithium ion.