The Relationship of Properties of Synthetic Poly(Isoprene) and Natural Rubber in The Factory. The Effect of Non-Rubber Constituents of Natural Rubber

Abstract

Abstract The causes of some of the differences in properties between compounded natural rubber and compounded synthetic poly (isoprene) have been traced to the insoluble non-rubber material in natural rubber. This material is mostly denatured proteins and is responsible for the higher modulus, faster scorch time, higher heat buildup, and higher hot tear strength of natural rubber. These properties may be related to the pigment effect of the denatured protein to act as a reinforcing filler at low concentrations (3–4 per cent by wt) as well as a curing activator. The greater green strength of compounded natural rubber has been related to its more perfect configurational regularity which contributes to faster crystallization. The crystallite concentration increases with increasing stress and the crystallites act like a reversible reinforcing pigment which disappears when the stress is released. The faster plastication rate has been related to the synthetic stabilizers used. Natural rubber hydrocarbon has been shown to be a high molecular lactone arranged in a six membered ring. We speculate natural rubber forms as a prosthetic group connected through a lactone linkage (or the δ-hydroxy acid precursor to the lactone) to a protein molecule in the cell of hevea brasiliensis. It is this structure of a high molecular weight hydrocarbon (natural rubber) attached to a (denatured) protein molecule that accounts for the remarkable dispersability of the insoluble fraction of natural rubber in rubber solvents : the rubber end of the structure tends to dissolve in the rubber solvent while the highly polar, insoluble protein end prevents solution. This structure is the reverse of a micelle in water in principle.