Elastomer compositions comprising uncured elastomer and reclaimed elastomer are described. In one embodiment, the compositions comprise reclaimed elastomer material (micronized rubber powder) of broad particle size distribution, which is less expensive than traditional reclaimed elastomer material with narrow particle size distribution. Further, compositions comprising reclaimed elastomer materials with broad particle size distribution perform comparably to those comprising reclaimed elastomer materials with narrow particle size distribution. In other embodiments, the compositions comprise both vulcanized, and devulcanized elastomer materials. Advantageously, by using a combination of vulcanized and devulcanized material, it is possible to incorporate a greater percentage by weight of reclaimed material in to an elastomer composition, thus providing additional cost savings while maintaining high levels of mechanical properties. Further, the use of the reclaimed material reduces landfill waste resulting in a more environmentally friendly product.

An elastomeric article having a rubber component comprising polyisoprene and an aldehyde aniline condensate, the elastomeric article having less than 1 ppm diisopropyl xanthogen polysulfide residue.

The present invention provides a process for making a silica masterbatch that contains hydrophobated silica, solution-made rubber and emulsion-made rubber. Hydrophobated silica is mixed into a latex emulsion. Solution-rubber crumb in an aqueous suspension is mixed into the latex emulsion, which is coagulated, and a crumb is recovered, further homogenized, dried and baled to yield the silica masterbatch. A well-dispersed mixture of hydrophobated silica and emulsion-made rubber is added into a steam distillation step of a solution-rubber process from which a silica masterbatch is recovered. The emulsion-made rubber can be omitted to make a silica masterbatch of solution rubber and silica without emulsion rubber. The silica masterbatch has physical properties similar to those found in a comparable dry-mixed composition, but the silica masterbatch can be incorporated more easily and less expensively into tires and other rubber products than the dry-mixed composition.

This present invention relates to oxidized, discrete carbon nanotubes in dispersions, especially for use in printing inks. The dispersions can include materials such as elastomers, thermosets and thermoplastics or aqueous dispersions of open-ended carbon nanotubes with additives. A further feature of this invention relates to the development of a dispersion of oxidized, discrete carbon nanotubes that are electrically conductive.

The present invention relates to a composition for preparation of latex pads, comprising natural latex, artificial latex, sliver nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles, and active carbon mixed in a specified proportion. The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing latex pads from the composition.

To provide a method for producing crosslinked rubber excellent in hardness and transparency.

The method for producing crosslinked rubber of the present invention is a method for producing crosslinked rubber, which comprises crosslinking a fluorinated copolymer in a composition comprising the fluorinated copolymer, a crosslinking agent and a crosslinking co-agent, wherein the fluorinated copolymer is a copolymer having units based on tetrafluoroethylene and units based on a perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether), the content of the units based on tetrafluoroethylene is from 65 to 90 mol % to all units of the fluorinated copolymer, in the composition, the content of the crosslinking agent is from 0.03 to 0.7 part by mass to 100 parts by mass of the fluorinated copolymer, the content of the crosslinking co-agent is from 0.1 to 2.5 parts by mass to 100 parts by mass of the fluorinated copolymer, and the hardness is from 65 to 100.

A masterbatch manufacturing method in accordance with the present disclosure comprises an operation in which pre-coagulation rubber latex comprising filler is coagulated to obtain a coagulum; an operation in which the coagulum is dewatered; and an operation in which the dewatered coagulum is plasticized as it is dried by means of an extruder; wherein, during the operation in which the dewatered coagulum is plasticized as it is dried, the coagulum comprises a peptizing agent.

Described herein are methods for producing guayule seeds, guayule plants, and products generated therefrom. More specifically, the disclosure provides methods for the production of viable seeds from apomictic guayule plants, seeds produced by such methods, plants grown from such seeds, plant parts, biomass, and biomaterials derived therefrom.

The invention provides a novel hydrophilic polymer and rubber polymer microparticles blend coating formulation and compositions thereof for rubber gloves to improve wet donning properties for easy application. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel hydrophilic polymer and rubber polymer microparticles blend coating formulation and compositions thereof, and their use on gloves to form hydrophilic and flexible coatings with durable lubricity. The gloves of the invention exhibit good donnability, tensile strength, elongation to break, and stress at 500% elongation.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for making masterbatches of particulates to be incorporated into polymers. In some variations, a process for making a particulate masterbatch comprises the sequential steps of: providing particulates; conveying an aqueous polymer latex and the particulates to a mixing unit, thereby generating a particulate-latex mixture comprising water; conveying the particulate-latex mixture to a homogenizer; conveying the homogenized particulate-latex mixture to a centrifuge to remove a first portion of water; and then conveying the dewatered and homogenized particulate-latex mixture to a screw mixer configured to remove a second portion of water, thereby generating a particulate masterbatch. Other variations employ polymer solids rather than a polymer latex. The processes and systems enable higher energy efficiency, more robust operability that minimizes process fouling, and exceptional particulate dispersion within the masterbatch. Also, these processes do not require the use of a latex coagulant.