Abstract - Comparing the Environmental Degradation of a Synthetic Polybutadiene Copolymer and NR Latex Examination Gloves


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	Publications of MRB Latest Publications MRB Digest Journal of Rubber Research 4^th Qtr 2008 Vol 11(4) 3^rd Qtr 2008 Vol 11(3) 2^nd Qtr 2008 Vol 11(2) 1^st Qtr 2008 Vol 11(1) 4^th Qtr 2007 Vol 10(4) 3^rd Qtr 2007 Vol 10(3) 2^nd Qtr 2007 Vol 10(2) 1^st Qtr 2007 Vol 10(1) 1^st Qtr 2006 Vol 9(1) 2^nd Qtr 2006 Vol 9(2) 3^rd Qtr 2006 Vol 9(3) 4^th Qtr 2006 Vol 9(4) Submit paper/article Order Form	Abstract Comparing the Environmental Degradation of a Synthetic Polybutadiene Copolymer and NR Latex Examination Gloves Ikram, A., Amir-Hashim, M.Y., Fauzi, M.S. and Shamsul Bahri, A.R. The environmental degradation of a synthetic polybutadiene copolymer latex examination gloves was compared with NR gloves in a clayey tropical Oxisol. Glove pieces were treated with acetone to remove the auto-oxidation formulation prior to soil burial and the degradation rates measured as changes in mass loss after 12, 24, 36 and 48 weeks. Irrespective of solvent treatments, the polybutadiene copolymer pieces showed insignificant mass loss after 48 weeks, whereas the NR glove pieces retained 6% (treated) and 12% (untreated) of their initial mass. The populations of bacteria and fungi but not actinomycetes colonising the NR glove pieces were significantly higher than on the polybutadiene copolymer pieces. The surfaces of treated and untreated polybutadiene copolymer glove pieces, before and after burial, were not different when viewed under conventional scanning and transmission electron microscopy, indicating their unbroken rubber network. In contrast, the homogenous aggregates of rubber particles in the NR glove pieces appeared less organised and disintegrated after soil burial. back
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