We specialize in emulsion SBR manufacturing, in the storage tanks we sometimes experience latex auto-coagulation that forms rubber gel, and as a result we have to dump these gel crumbs. Any idea on what we can make these gel crumbs useful instead of dumping them?
Dear Sir;
usually scrap material is used as a filler in other compounding formulation. There is another option is to use it as bitumen modifier. Regards
Dear Sir;
usually scrap material is used as a filler in other compounding formulation. There is another option is to use it as bitumen modifier. Regards
Rubber gel may be utilized in many formulations. Depending upon the quality of the gels, water resistance etc. they may found high end application in the furniture as well as agriculture industry.
@Abdelkader BOUAZIZ thanks for the answer will look at that
@OMKAR Please Elaborate on the Agriculture industry
Dear all;
in the following RG link, you will find a good book on polymer modified bitumen I posted. Regards
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_any_differences_between_recycled_and_virgin_HDPE_used_in_the_modification_of_bitumen2
Hi;
Due to the low Tg of SBR it could be used as impact modifier in some resins especially in thermoset resins with regard to good solubility or dispersability.
If by chemical modification some group is added it can be used for so many blends such as impact modifier and many more
I spent a lifetime dealing with emulsion polymerization issues, and we concluded early on that the best solution was to prevent the in-process coagulation in the first place, because subsequent reclamation is inherently expensive and highly variable.
So my recommendation is that you contact one or more experts in emulsion polymerization to assist you in formulating a better recipie for the initial SBR latex. As I recall, one property to be balanced is the easy of coagulation (when you want it) and recovery for subsequent compounding into various rubber end uses.
Summarizing a half-century of work, the primary factor controlling coagulation resistance is the acid functionality and level in the latex particle. Acid can come from co-polymerized acids (common), acid end-groups from initiators (also common), and side oxidation reactions caused by oxidizing initiators (less common). In addition, ionic surfactants are much superior to non-ionic surfactants for stability, and far more efficient.
it is essential to start with a totally clean reactor before testing any of these ideas. Residues from previous batches will definitely foul succeeding batches -- we proved this to our chagrin many times. Operating people hate solvent cleaning of reactors, but in this case it is essential. You should be able to prove this on a lab scale, provided that you have a lab model reactor vessel that totally mimics the mechanical peculiarities of your production vessel, including placement of cooling coils.
Good luck.
High percentage of crumbs after polymerization suggests poor balance of the formulation. Typically co-polymerization produces acid which lead to instability during storage. To answer your question on what to do with the crumbs? I have done significant amount of work with SBR as a modifier in bitumen for road and roofing applications. If you need help in this area you may contact me by email.
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