Electrical and physical properties of natural rubber gloves / Noor Ashikin Abd Hadi

Electrical conductivity and physical properties of natural rubber latex with variation of pH and leaching medium such as water and potassium hydroxide solution were investigated using Impedance Spectroscopy HIOKI 3532-50 LCR HiTESTER. Dry coagulant dipping method was used to produce latex deposit. Natural rubber latex was compounded with ingredients in different pH. Each compound will then leach in different medium to remove the extractable protein in the natural rubber latex product. Results shows that the extractable protein content of the deposit reduced when leach in potassium hydroxide solution. The electric conductivity will decrease when the extractable protein content is decrease. The extractable protein can be described as amphoteric polyelectrolytes in latex. Differences in pH also caused the changes in polarity which is effect the electrical conductivity. The physical properties such as tensile strength also decrease when the extractable protein content is decrease. The extractable protein content act as cement in the latex which crosslink with the latex particles.