Original Article |
2011, Vol.33, No.4, pp. 425-430
Effects of wood vinegar as an additive for natural rubber products
Kulchanat Prasertsit, Namthip Rattanawan, and Juraivan Ratanapisit
pp. 425 - 430
Abstract
Wood vinegar, a product of wood burning in airless condition, is well known as an all- purpose natural chemical, since it can be used in agricultural, food, and pharmaceutical industries, even for home care products. Because of its acidity and anti microorganism growth property, it is of interest to use wood vinegar for rubber products by fully or partially replacing the usage of traditional acids in the production processes. This work is to study effects of crude coconut shell wood vinegar on natural rubber products. The experiment was conducted by introducing various concentrations of wood vinegar to block and sheet rubbers. Results showed that wood vinegar can improve initial plasticity, plasticity retention index and Mooney viscosity of rubber products. Moreover, it can also retard the growth of fungi in the products.