Ultrafine fully vulcanized natural rubber modified by graft-copolymerization with styrene and acrylonitrile monomers

Krittaphorn Longsiri; Phattarin Mora; Watcharapong Peeksuntiye; Chanchira Jubsilp; Kasinee Hemvichian; Panagiotis Karagiannidis; Sarawut Rimdusit

doi:10.1186/s40643-022-00577-5

Ultrafine fully vulcanized natural rubber modified by graft-copolymerization with styrene and acrylonitrile monomers

Bioresour Bioprocess. 2022 Aug 20;9(1):85. doi: 10.1186/s40643-022-00577-5.

Authors

Krittaphorn Longsiri¹, Phattarin Mora², Watcharapong Peeksuntiye¹, Chanchira Jubsilp², Kasinee Hemvichian³, Panagiotis Karagiannidis⁴, Sarawut Rimdusit⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit in Polymeric Materials for Medical Practice Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Srinakharinwirot University, Nakhonnayok, 26120, Thailand.
³ Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, Nakhonnayok, 26120, Thailand.
⁴ School of Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, SR6 0DD, UK.
⁵ Research Unit in Polymeric Materials for Medical Practice Devices, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand. Sarawut.r@chula.ac.th.

Abstract

This research aims to modify ultrafine fully vulcanized powdered natural rubber (UFPNR) prepared by emulsion graft-copolymerization with styrene (St) and acrylonitrile (AN) monomers onto deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR). The effects of monomers content and St/AN weight ratio on grafting efficiency and thermal stability of the developed DPNR-g-(PS-co-PAN) were investigated. The results showed that grafting efficiency was enhanced up to 86% with monomers content 15 phr and weight ratio St:AN 80:20. The obtained DPNR-g-(PS-co-PAN) was radiated by an electron beam at various doses, followed by a spray drying process to produce UFPNR. The obtained modified UFPNR particles irradiated at dose up to 300 kGy were relatively spherical with a particle size of approximately 4.4 µm. Furthermore, the degradation temperature of 5wt% loss (T_d5) of UFPNR was found in the range of 349-356 °C. The results revealed that the modified UFPNR is suitable as a toughening filler for a broader spectrum of polymers.

Keywords: DPNR-g-(PS-co-PAN); Electron beam vulcanization; Graft copolymer; Spray drying; UFPNR.

Grants and funding

(50 3/2564)/the 90TH Anniversary of Chulalongkorn University Scholarship