A process for producing a wet rubber masterbatch yielded by using, as raw materials, at least a filler, a dispersing solvent, and a rubber latex solution, comprises a step (i) of mixing the filler, the dispersing solvent and the rubber latex solution with each other to produce a filler-containing rubber latex solution, a step (ii) of solidifying the filler-containing rubber latex solution to produce a filler-containing rubber solidified product, and a step (iii) of dehydrating the filler-containing rubber solidified product to produce the wet rubber masterbatch. At the time of representing the temperature of the filler-containing rubber solidified product before the dehydration in the step (iii) by T1 ( C.), and representing the temperature of the filler-containing rubber solidified product after the dehydration by T2 ( C.), the following expressions (1) and (2) are satisfied:
T1100(1)
80T2T1160(2).

Binder compositions that are formaldehyde free and include a latex emulsion, an epoxysilane, an epoxy dispersion, a polyol or a latex emulsion, a styrenic copolymer having carboxylic acid functionality, an epoxysilane or an epoxy dispersion or a mixture of both, a polyol and, optionally, an additive, wherein the composition does not comprise formaldehyde are described.

Binder compositions that are formaldehyde free and include a latex emulsion, an epoxysilane, an epoxy dispersion, a polyol or a latex emulsion, a styrenic copolymer having carboxylic acid functionality, an epoxysilane or an epoxy dispersion or a mixture of both, a polyol and, optionally, an additive, wherein the composition does not comprise formaldehyde are described.

The present application relates to an elastomeric article, such as a glove, comprising: (i) an elastomeric film comprising one or more film layers, and including an external surface and an internal surface, (ii) an antimicrobial agent that is effective against both beneficial and harmful microorganisms on the external surface of the elastomeric film, and (iii) a skin-protective agent selected from a probiotic, a prebiotic, or a combination thereof on the internal surface of the elastomeric film; wherein the inner surface of the film is free of an antimicrobially-effective amount of an antimicrobial agent that is effective against both beneficial and harmful microorganisms. The elastomeric articles may further comprise a barrier film layer that provides separation between the antimicrobial agent and the skin-protective agent. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such articles.

A process for producing a wet rubber masterbatch yielded by using, as raw materials, at least a filler, a dispersing solvent, and a rubber latex solution, comprises a step (i) of mixing the filler, the dispersing solvent and the rubber latex solution with each other to produce a filler-containing rubber latex solution, a step (ii) of solidifying the filler-containing rubber latex solution to produce a filler-containing rubber solidified product, and a step (iii) of dehydrating the filler-containing rubber solidified product to produce the wet rubber masterbatch. At the time of representing the temperature of the filler-containing rubber solidified product before the dehydration in the step (iii) by T1 ( C.), and representing the temperature of the filler-containing rubber solidified product after the dehydration by T2 ( C.), the following expressions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

T1100(1)

80T2T1160(2).

An emulsifier-free process for the preparation of water expandable polymer beads, including: a) providing an emulsifier-free starting composition comprising styrene, b) prepolymerizing the starting composition to obtain a prepolymer composition, c) mixing an aqueous blowing agent with the prepolymer composition at an elevated temperature to obtain an inverse emulsion of water droplets in the prepolymer composition, wherein the aqueous blowing agent comprises water and a water soluble initiator dissolved in the water and the water droplets comprise spheres of a styrene polymer, wherein the water soluble initiator partly decomposes due to the elevated temperature leading to the formation of the inverse emulsion of water droplets in the prepolymer composition, d) suspending the inverse emulsion in an aqueous medium to yield an aqueous suspension of suspended droplets and e) polymerizing monomers in the droplets of the suspension obtained by step d) to obtain the water expandable polymer beads.

An integral latex foam having a first layer foam and a second and/or subsequent layer of latex foam is disclosed. The first layer foam contains an additive that is applied in the form of a solution, emulsion or dispersion. The first layer has a thickness from 0.01 to 9 mm.