Preparation And Application Of Natural Latex Products Without Sulfur

Natural latex(NRL)is a renewable and widely used strategic resource.However,fresh natural latex has no practical use because of low strength,and shows excellent mechanical strength and tensile elasticity only after vulcanization.Unfortunately,the vulcanization system generates many problems,such as the use of toxic compounds,blooming,and non-recyclable products,leading to negative impact on human health and social development.Therefore,the preparation of high-performance elastomer without sulfur is a huge but urgent challenge in the natural latex industry.Here,the unvulcanized natural rubber latex is reinforced by graphene oxide(GO)/ zwitterionic chitin nanocrystals(NC)hybrid nanoparticles(GC).Natural rubber latex-graphene oxide(GO)/ zwitterionic chitin nanocrystals(NR/GC)has excellent mechanical performance,rivaling vulcanized rubber.Here,we proved that there is a strong interaction between the NC decorated both amino and carboxyl groups and protein of NRL particles.In addition,NC can be absorbed on the GO nanosheets in the aqueous solution to form GO/NC hybrids(GC)Therefore,NC can act as a molecular bridge between GO and NRL particles,resulting in good interaction between GC hybrids and NRL particles,and uniform dispersion in the natural rubber matrix.The uniform hybrid nano-filler network has a strong fixation effect on the natural macromolecules and significantly improves the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.As a practical application,natural latex medical gloves were prepared by simple,green and eco-friendly dipping technology.Compared with natural latex medical gloves prepared by sulfur,NR/GC medical gloves have better recovery performance,higher air permeability and good biocompatibility.In conclusion,this study confirmed that green biomass nanomaterials can not only be the reinforcing agent of composites,but also can be used as dispersant,compatibilizer and functional agent,which provides a new viewpoint for the development of composite science and technology and a new idea for the preparation of natural latex products without sulfur.