Guayule

Abstract

Abstract The microstructure of both GR and NR is comprised of cis-polyisoprene units, resulting in a physicochemical similarity between the two rubbers. However, the processing and vulcanizate properties of guayule and NR differ when the former is substituted in standard NR formulations. Since GR and NR do not contain the same nonrubber constituents, equivalent compounding and processing may not work equally well on both. Therefore, guayule's formulations must be modified in order to use its properties to best advantage. This has recently been demonstrated using standard production equipment and modified NR formulations, with very little disruption to the manufacturing process. It can therefore be concluded that guayule is a useful substitute for NR, and once it is commercially available, applications will be readily found.