Prevulcanisation of skim latex: morphology and its use in natural rubber based composite material

The prevulcanisation of skim latex, a by-product of field natural rubber (NR) latex concentrated by centrifugation, using sulphur and peroxide systems was investigated. Compared to the peroxide prevulcanisation, the lower swelling ratio of film casted from sulphur-prevulcanised skim (SPVS) latex was observed. The latter was then employed for preparation of NR/SPVS core–shell particles by using heterocoagulation technique whose driving force was an interpolymer complex between poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) moieties of a non-ionic surfactant (Nonidet) adsorbed on small SPVS particles and the indigenous surfactant (protein–lipid) on a large NR particle. The value of zeta potential of heterocoagulated particle and the better oil resistance of films casted from the composite latex when compared to that of the NR film revealed the NR/SPVS core–shell structure.     

Modification of epoxidised natural rubber film surface by polymerisation of methyl methacrylate

Epoxidised natural rubber (ENR) latex, having 25% of epoxide content, was prepared by in situ epoxidation reaction using performic acid. The ENR latex film surface was modified by immersing into methyl methacrylate (MMA) emulsion and then alkaline aqueous solution of ferrous ion/fructose for redox-initiated polymerisation. Increasing polymerisation time caused an increase in percent conversion of MMA swelled in ENR sheet. The presence of poly(methyl methacrylate) on the ENR surface was examined by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The nano-scale indentation experiment performed on the cross-section of the modified ENR sheet indicated that MMA polymerisation occurred mainly near the rubber’s surface. The surface morphology observed under scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed a pronounced roughness which, consequently, decreased the friction coefficient of ENR surface.     

Selective Fluorescent Detection of Aspartic Acid and Glutamic Acid Employing Dansyl Hydrazine Dextran Conjugate

Highly water soluble polymer (DD) was prepared and evaluated for its fluorescence response towards various amino acids. The polymer consists of dansyl hydrazine unit conjugated into dextran template. The conjugation enhances higher water solubility of dansyl hydrazine moiety. Of screened amino acids, DD exhibited selective fluorescence quenching in the presence of aspartic acid (Asp) and glutamic acid (Glu). A plot of fluorescence intensity change of DD against the concentration of corresponding amino acids gave a good linear relationship in the range of 1?×?10^?4 M to 25?×?10^?3 M. This establishes DD as a potential polymeric sensor for selective sensing of Asp and Glu.

Antiseptic Nanocapsule Formation via Controlling Polymer Deposition onto Water-in-Oil Miniemulsion Droplets

The stable nanodroplet was prepared by inverse miniemulsion with an aqueous antiseptic solution dispersed in an organic medium of solvent/nonsolvent mixture containing an oil-soluble surfactant and the polymer for shell formation. The change in gradient of the solvent/nonsolvent mixture, obtained by heating at 50 °C, led to the precipitation of the polymer in the organic phase and deposition onto the large interphase of the aqueous miniemulsion droplets. The monodisperse polymer nanocapsule, with the size range of 80–240 nm, dispersed in cyclohexane phase was achieved as a function of surfactant concentration. By variation of polymer content, molecular weight and type, an encapsulation efficiency of 20–100% was obtained as detected by proton-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurement. The nanocapsule could be easily transferred into water as continuous phase resulting in aqueous dispersion with nanocapsule containing the antiseptic agent as an aqueous core. The encapsulated amount of the antiseptic agent was evaluated to indicate the durability of the nanocapsule's wall. Additionally, the different types of polymer having glass transition temperature ranging from −60 to 100°C have been successfully used. Currently, the research work on the incorporation of nanocapsules onto natural rubber (NR) latex in order to prepare NR latex glove containing the antiseptic agent nanocapsules is carried out. By using the simple and versatile layer-by-layer (LbL) technique based mainly on an electrostatic interaction between oppositely charged species, the deposition of nanocapsules onto NR latex film has successfully been fulfilled.     

Debt and entrenchment: Evidence from Thailand and Indonesia

This paper examines the relation between debt and corporate governance in emerging market economies. We use firm-level panel data of listed companies from Thailand and Indonesia to analyze the firm’s corporate financing behaviors in connection with its corporate governance arrangements. Our results show that the debt structure is linked to the corporate governance. We find that weaker corporate governance firms, in particular measured by the entrenchment effects, tend to have a higher debt level. The evidence is relatively stronger during the crisis period. Our results also shed lights on the importance of the country-specific institutional settings that would affect the empirical results.     

Morphology of natural rubber latex particles prevulcanised by sulphur and peroxide systems

Transmission electron microscopy provided direct evidence of the morphology of sulphur- and peroxide-prevulcanised natural rubber latex particles. A mesh structure of all cross-linked rubber particles containing polystyrene, prepared using the phase-transfer/bulk polymerisation process, was found. Each peroxide-prevulcanised particle had a nonuniform network structure, whereas the rubber network in sulphur-prevulcanised particles was homogeneous, irrespective of size. The effects of maturation and sodium dodecyl sulphate on the swelling ratio of the sulphur-prevulcanised latex film were investigated.     

Encapsulation of octadecane in poly(divinylbenzene-co-methyl methacrylate) using phase inversion emulsification for droplet generation

Octadecane (OD), a heat storage material, was encapsulated into poly(divinylbenzene-co-methyl methacrylate) or P(DVB-co-MMA) matrix via the microsuspension polymerization. The oil droplets were first generated by using the phase inversion emulsification, i.e., adding a sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) aqueous solution into an oil phase (monomers:OD = 1:1) containing various concentrations of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Results showed that 0.1 wt% of SDS in aqueous medium with the additional rate of 2 mL/min and 3 wt% of PVA in oil phase were the optimal conditions for the formation of nonspherical microcapsules. The smallest number- (d_n) and weight- (d_w) average diameters of P(DVB-co-MMA)/OD were, respectively, 3.1 and 3.2 µm with a narrow particle size distribution (d_w/d_n) of 1.02. The latent heats of the encapsulated OD increased with increasing MMA content of microcapsules. The heat of melting (ΔH_m; 223 J/g-OD) and crystallization (ΔH_c; 230 J/g-OD) of the OD encapsulated in microcapsules using DVB:MMA of 30:70 were higher than those using only PDVB (189 and 193 J g-OD for ΔH_m and ΔH_c, respectively) and comparable to those of bulk OD (233 and 234 J/g-OD for ΔH_m and ΔH_c, respectively). The obtained P(DVB-co-MMA)/OD microcapsules would be useful as high performance heat storage material.     

Bulk phase separation study by atomic force microscope friction imaging of natural rubber/poly(methyl methacrylate) film

The first observation of bulk phase separation in immiscible natural rubber (NR)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film using atomic force microscopy (AFM) is reported. Three different forms of AFM measurements: topographic, friction force imaging, and nanoindentation have been effectively used to investigate combined morphological and compositional mapping of the NR/PMMA system. The fracture temperature during sample microtoming and material physical properties could be responsible for the observed topographic contrast. The stronger contrast of friction imaging, relative to topographic imaging, is ascribed to local variations in mechanical properties of the phase-separated domains. Friction force imaging associated with nanoindentation response, performed under AFM force mode, highlights the AFM's ability for probing local friction, adhesion, and elastic properties, and for compositional mapping of heterogeneous polymer film. The resulting friction force imaging along with the response of the nanoindentation are in good agreement, indicating that PMMA exists mainly near the modified NR surface.