Material propertiesA model study on effect of glucose on the basic characteristics and physical properties of natural rubber

Glucose at various concentrations was incorporated into sugar free purified natural rubber (PNR) latex to model the effect of carbohydrate on the basic characteristics and physical properties of natural rubber (NR). PNR samples treated with various concentrations of glucose were characterized for the basic properties of unvulcanized NR, i.e., gel content, molecular weight distribution and Mooney viscosity to evaluate the effect of sugar on these parameters. In addition, the effect of glucose on the physical properties of vulcanizates derived using sulfur and peroxide vulcanization was investigated. Glucose was shown to affect the viscosity of unvulcanized NR and the discoloration of vulcanized NR. Moreover, glucose was found to have a strong effect on crosslink density, as well as tensile and dynamic properties of sulfur vulcanizates, while those properties of peroxide vulcanizates was not much affected by glucose.