| |
|
|
|
Latex Science & Technology Unit
Poster Gallery
Environmental Degradation of NR Latex Gloves
LGM Glove Fatigue Test Equipment
3-In-1 Peroxide Prevulcanised Natural Rubber Latex
Protein Allergy and Related Studies
Environmental
Degradation of NR Latex Gloves
A. Ikram
Rubber
Research Institute of Malaysia, Malaysian Rubber Board, P.O.Box
10150, 50908 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
|
| NR is a biomaterial from a
renewable resource that would eventually break down (biodegrade)
in the environment upon disposal. |
| |
|
| When buried in soils, NR latex
gloves physically disintegrate through the influence of the
environment and are chemically transformed via initial peroxidation
(abiotic or biotic) into low molecular weight oxidation products
that can be bioassimilated by microbes. |
Environmental degradation studies
of NR latex gloves facilitate moves towards environmental responsibility
and sustainability. Research on the biodegradation rates of
NR latex gloves in soils is concerned with predicting its environmental
fate within a realistic time scale. Knowledge gained in these
studies is used to brand and market NR’s conceptually
green image and environmental advantage relative to bio-inert
synthetic elastomers (nitrile, Plasticised PVC, polychloroprene,
polybutadiene
co-polymer). |
 |
 |
|
LGM GLOVE
FATIGUE TEST EQUIPMENT
Ma’zam Md Said
Rubber Research Institute, Malaysian Rubber Board, P.O.Box 10150,
50908 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Glove
may puncture or tear during use by mere flexing of fingers, even
without contact with sharp objects. An indicator of glove durability
due to fatigue failure is useful in choosing the right type of glove
to serve specific task. LGM had developed a glove fatigue test equipment
and a method of determining glove fatigue resistance using this
equipment. The test is useful in giving a measure of fatigue resistance
or durability of gloves during use. The absence of correlation between
glove fatigue resistance and physical properties of gloves further
enhances the usefulness of the test both for product performance
indicator and for quality control purposes.
 |
The
principle of the method is that the critical areas of the
glove, especially the crotches of fingers are stretched and
unstretched at a strain and rate that are close to that experienced
by gloves during use.
The
glove is inflated and deflated with the expansion of the palmar
areas restricted by using a cylindrical
pipe.
The
results obtained so far indicate that NR medical gloves have
a much superior fatigue resistance compared to nitrile and
vinyl medical gloves.
|
|
3-IN-1
PEROXIDE PREVULCANISED NATURAL RUBBER LATEX
Ma’zam
Md Said
Rubber Research Institute, Malaysian Rubber Board, P.O.Box
10150, 50908 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|
NR
latex products are usually vulcanised using accelerated sulphur
vulcanising system, with a typical formulation that contains sulphur,
dithiocarbamate accelerators and zinc oxide. Vulcanisation is a
process whereby rubber molecules are crosslinked in order to impart
desirable properties such as high mechanical strength of products.
| Natural
rubber can also be vulcanised using organic peroxide. However
for NR latex products, peroxide vulcanisation can only be
practically carried out in the latex, yielding peroxide prevulcanised
latex. Products made from peroxide prevulcanised latex only
require drying which can be carried out at a relatively low
temperature. The advantages of using a non-sulphur vulcanising
system such as organic peroxide is that the latex products
have low level of nitrosamines, nitrosatable amines, chemical
sanitisers and chemical residues. The LGM has recently developed
a new range of peroxide prevulcanised latices with improved
properties and additional desirable characteristics. Recent
studies showed that products made using the new type of peroxide
prevulcanised latices are non-cytotoxic and contain a relatively
low level of extractable protein content.
|
|
| Peroxide
prevulcanised latex products were also found to show a significantly
higher rate of environmental degradation compared to that of
products vulcanised using accelerated sulphur systems. In addition,
the absence of zinc compounds in a peroxide prevulcanised latex,
makes it an eco-friendly material for the latex product manufacturing
industry. |
| |
Peroxide
prevulcanised latex is suitable for production of products in contact
with mucous or body fluids e.g. baby teats, pacifiers, dental dams,
condoms. Mucous or body fluids facilitate extraction of nitrosamines
and chemical sensitisers. In addition, NR latex products having
a relatively good tear and puncture resistance, would be a better
choice of material than silicone for production of baby teats and
soothers. For condom application, the absence of accelerators and
hence tetrogenic compounds that may affect pregnant mothers and
their foetus is another desirable feature. For food contact applications
e.g. gloves, minimal transfer of chemical sensitisers and proteins
to food is required. The material is suitable for production of
medical devices, such that the potential of health-care workers
and patients getting Type I or Type lV allergy is minimised. Peroxide
prevuclanised latex is suitable for production of various types
of finger cots. The absence of metallic compound would make the
material suitable for production of finger cots that are used in
the electronic industry.
|
Protein Allergy and Related Studies
Hasma,
H.
Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, Malaysian Rubber Board, P.O.Box
10150, 50908 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| |
|
Determination
of Allergenic Protein Content
(IgE-Elisa Inhibition Method) |
| The method
assayed the level of latex allergenic proteins which are proteins
that could sensitise individuals to produce IgE antibody and
which could bind to the IgE antibody in the sensitised individuals
to elicit latex allergy reactions. The assay was adopted from
the Finnish test method (Allergy 1998: 53: 59-67) while the
IgE antibodies were from pooled human sera, which had been
tested to contain specific IgE antibodies to latex. Fresh
NR latex serum was used as the allergen source.
Charging fee:
RM 250 per sample
|
 |
Virus
Permeability Test
Barrier integrity of gloves could be assessed by its permeability
to a bacteriophage F174 of 27 nm
in diameter (1/5 the size of HIV). The test involved exposing
the glove film to the virus (ATCC 13706-B1) suspension of
titre 1x 106 pfu/ml and assay the amount of virus permeated
or leaked in accordance to the method developed by LGM and
CDRH (FDA) (J. Rubb. Res. 1998:1:209-221). The compatibility
of the virus to the sample was also determined.
Charging fee: RM 250 per sample
|
|
|
