Enhancing Latex Compounds and Vulcanized Rubber Properties with Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

The production process of latex products requires the preparation of latex compounds by mixing latex with chemicals in a dispersion state. This experiment investigated the influence of added zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles on the properties of latex compounds and vulcanized rubber. It was found that increasing the amount of zinc oxide in the rubber compound resulted in a rise in the viscosity of the latex over the storage period. Increasing the zinc oxide content also led to a higher degree of crosslink noticed by a faster chloroform number determination of the vulcanization level and the opposite effect on the swell value of the rubber film with reduced swelling. The amount of 2.0 phr of ZnO as an activator gave the highest value of the tensile strength. The increasing amount of silver nanoparticles caused a decrease in the viscosity and exhibited a slower chloroform number with a decrease in the swelling of the rubber film. The amount of silver nanoparticles in the study period (0.0010-0.0022 phr) had little effect on mechanical properties but a significant effect on antibacterial activity. The 0.0010 phr of silver nanoparticles showed sufficient potential in inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.