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Revealing the Structure-Property Difference of Natural Rubber Prepared by Different Methods: Protein and Gel Content are Key Factors

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Abstract

Natural rubber (NR) is widely used in various fields including aerospace, military industry and transportation due to its superior elasticity and comprehensive mechanical properties. Nonetheless, the commercial NR prepared by different methods usually exhibits different mechanical properties, primarily due to variations in processing conditions during the conversion from latex to bulk rubber material. Consequently, this poses challenges in scientific research and industrial production of NR. In order to assess the properties of various commercially available NR and identify key structural and compositional components, this study systematically compares and analyzes four representative NR raw materials: air dried sheet (ADS), ribbed smoked sheets (RSS), constant viscidity NR (CV), and whole field latex rubber (WF). The investigation focuses on evaluating their static mechanical behavior, SIC behavior, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance. The findings indicate that protein and gel content exhibit a crucial influence on the NR properties. These constituents contribute to the formation of a high-crosslinking density region, generating a heterogeneous network structure within the rubber. This structure amplifies strains during deformation, leading to earlier and stronger strain-induced crystallization (SIC). Among the four commercial NR brands, RSS demonstrates superior overall mechanical and dynamic properties owing to its high protein and gel content. This study serves as a valuable reference for comprehending the differences in properties among various commercial NR, thereby offering guidance for the actual processing and selection of NR.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by Research and Development Program in key area of Guangdong Province (No. 2020B020217001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52173058) and National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2022YFD2301202). The authors are indebted to the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) for providing the necessary beamline time and technical assistance in the experiments on the BL16B1 line.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China

    Shao-Qi Huang, Jun-Qi Zhang, Yong Zhu, Ling-Min Kong, Zheng-Tian **e & **-Rong Wu

  2. Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Rubber Processing, Agricultural Products Processing Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang, 524001, China

    Lu-Sheng Liao & Fu-Quan Zhang

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  1. Shao-Qi Huang
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  2. Jun-Qi Zhang
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  3. Yong Zhu
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Revealing the Structure-Property Difference of Natural Rubber Prepared by Different Methods: Protein and Gel Content are Key Factors

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Huang, SQ., Zhang, JQ., Zhu, Y. et al. Revealing the Structure-Property Difference of Natural Rubber Prepared by Different Methods: Protein and Gel Content are Key Factors. Chin J Polym Sci 42, 457–467 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-024-3071-2

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