The reclaimed rubber made from waste latex, waste natural rubber, and its products retains the basic properties of natural rubber, offering good elasticity, high strength, low specific gravity, and low cost. It is an ideal raw material to replace natural rubber in producing various rubber products and reduce costs. Can latex reclaimed rubber completely replace natural rubber? How to choose the right latex reclaimed rubber for natural rubber products?
1. What are the advantages of latex reclaimed rubber replacing natural rubber?
In terms of performance, latex reclaimed rubber features good hand elasticity, high tensile strength, and high elongation at break, meeting the basic requirements of natural rubber products and offering better aging resistance than natural rubber; In terms of price, latex reclaimed rubber costs only about one-third of natural rubber; From the perspective of processing technology, natural reclaimed rubber has better plasticity and flowability, resulting in more stable finished product dimensions and less likely to undergo vulcanization or reversion.
Using latex reclaimed rubber instead of an appropriate proportion of natural rubber can not only reduce raw material costs but also improve the processing performance of the rubber compound.
2. Can latex reclaimed rubber completely replace natural rubber?
The core of replacing natural rubber with latex reclaimed rubber lies in "optimizing the blend," not "completely replaced." In actual production, latex reclaimed rubber retains some elasticity and strength of natural rubber, but the molecular chains partially degrade, and indicators such as tensile strength and elongation at break are usually lower than those of virgin natural rubber. Therefore, latex reclaimed rubber cannot completely replace natural rubber, but in many rubber products, it can fully or partially replace natural rubber.
3. How much natural rubber can latex reclaimed rubber replace?
The key to replacing natural rubber with latex reclaimed rubber lies in the performance requirements and quality of the rubber products. The amount of reclaimed rubber to replace should be determined based on the performance parameters E5LYY1225 and the physical properties of the rubber products. Low-load rubber products such as rubber soles, rubber sheets, ordinary rubber tubes, washers, and handlebar sleeves can fully use latex reclaimed rubber; For conveyor belt covers, ordinary rubber shoes, cable sheaths, etc., 40%-70% latex reclaimed rubber can be added; When producing high-strength, high-wear-resistant rubber products from natural rubber, it is recommended to blend 10%-30% latex reclaimed rubber.
4. How to choose the right latex reclaimed rubber
When using latex reclaimed rubber instead of natural rubber to reduce production costs, it is recommended to choose the appropriate latex reclaimed rubber based on a four-step selection method of "color→ performance→ environmentally friendly → process," combined with cost budget.
(1) Rubber product colors: white, light, and colored products can use white latex reclaimed rubber, which is easy to match colors and resists discoloration; Black and dark-colored products use black latex reclaimed rubber, which offers better cost performance.
(2) Rubber product indicators: Based on the specific performance indicators of the rubber product, including tensile strength, elongation at break, hardness, etc., select latex reclaimed rubber with similar indicators.
(3) Environmental level: Rubber products that are RoHS-compliant, low VOC, and odorless can choose environmentally friendly natural latex reclaimed rubber certified by the EU RoHS.
(4) Appearance and process performance of latex reclaimed rubber: dense appearance, free of impurities, Mooney viscosity and plasticity matching existing processing equipment, flat vulcanization curve with minimal reversion.
When using latex reclaimed rubber to replace natural rubber, it cannot be directly "replaced in equal amounts"; the formula must be recalculated based on the effective rubber hydrocarbon content. In actual production, the amount of sulfur and accelerators in latex reclaimed rubber formulations can be about 20% higher than that of natural rubber, and the amount of softener needs to be adjusted according to the oil content in the reclaimed rubber itself. Even if the sulfur content is slightly high, the common frosting phenomenon seen in natural rubber will not occur.
Exclusive original article [commercial authorization] reprint, excerpt and excerpt in any form are prohibited without written authorization. Focus on Hongyun rubber: learn the process formula and raw material technology of producing rubber products from recycled rubber to help you reduce costs and increase profits