A novel interpenetrating polymer network of natural rubber/regenerated cellulose made by simple co-precipitation

A novel interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure consisting of natural rubber (NR) and cellulose was successfully prepared using a simple co-precipitation process. Cellulose was first dissolved in the aqueous alkali/urea system, and then it was mixed with NR latex. The mixed NR/cellulose solution was co-precipitated with ethanol. During the fast co-precipitation process, both rubber network and cellulose network were formed and interpenetrated simultaneously. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) clearly demonstrated that the two networks could be interlaced to form a full-IPN structure. This simple method provides a new insight into the fabrication of novel IPNs from cellulose and broadens the potential applications of cellulose in rubber compounds.