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Abstract
Properties of High Pressure Treated Natural Rubber Latex
Ammoniated natural rubber
latices were found to be destabilised under high pressure at 1 GP and -20°C. However,
the latices remained stable when the high-pressure treatment was carried out at
room temperature or 50°C. No significant changes were observed in the particle
size distribution of the latices after the treatment. The rubbers coagulated
from high-pressure treated latices generally showed a small increase in the gel
content and narrower molecular weight distribution when compared to the control
samples. High-pressure treatment led to a significant increase in the
extractable protein content of the rubber films, indicating the occurrence of
protein degradation during the treatment. However, the corresponding allergen
content of the film was found to decrease drastically after the treatment,
showing that the active site of the allergen could be destroyed by
high-pressure treatment without sacrificing the properties of the rubber.

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