Latex and Synthetic Polymer Dispersions 2012

183 Pages·13.026 MB·English

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International Conference on Latex and
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Latex-based Products
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13-14 March 2012
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KL Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Conference Proceedings
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ISBN 978 1 84735 725 0 r
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Latex 2012

Organised by

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
13-14 March 2012
ISBN: 978-1-84735-725-0
© Smithers Rapra Technology Ltd, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
permission of the publisher, Smithers Rapra Technology Ltd, Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4NR,
UK.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily correspond
to those of Smithers Rapra Technology Ltd. This publication is published on the basis that no responsibility or
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utilization in any form any material contained in this publication.
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Latex 2012

Contents

Session 1: Naturally Occuring Latices – Properties and Applications

Paper 1 Natural rubber latex industry —then and now
No Dock Moung, International Rubber Study Group, Singapore

Paper 2 Biological and physical properties, and performance of latices from different botanical sources
and effectiveness of some biobased fibers and fillers
Prof Katrina Cornish, J Lauren Slutsky, Richard S Kamenik & Ashok KB Dasan, The Ohio State University
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, USA

Paper 3 New developments in the characterization of natural rubber latex
Justo Brasero & Dr J L Valentín, CSIC, Spain PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT

Paper 4 Effect of natural starch on mechanical and biodegradation properties of natural rubber latex (NRL)
films
Muhamamad Afiq Misman & Azura A Rashid, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Paper 5 Effect of gamma radiation induced gel content of NR latex in quality improvement of radiation
vulcanised natural rubber latex and high styrene content styrene butadiene copolymer latex
blends
Dr Rosamma Alex, I John Brito, Valsa George, Susamma Joseph, Benny George & Sadeesh Babu P S,
Rubber Research Institute of India

Session 2: Synthetic Latices – Properties and Preparation

Paper 6 Latices from renewable sources -carbohydrates as multifunctional additives in emulsion
polymerisation processes
Dr Joachim Storsberg, Prof André Laschewsky & Olivia Mauger, Fraunhofer IAP, Germany

Paper 7 New developments in emulsion polymerization and synthetic latices
Prof Chee C Ho,Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia

Paper 8 Accelerator free cross-linking of XNBR-Latex using UV techniques
Dietmar Lenko & Sandra Schlögl, Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH; Raimund Schaller &
Armin Holzner, Semperit Technische Produkte GmbH; Wolfgang Kern, University of Leoben, Austria

Paper 9 A synthetic polyisoprene latex condom
Adeline Kung Ai Lin, Chintana Netrung, Sugath Amarasekera, David Lucas, Beng-Sim Chuah, Ansell
Shah Alam, Malaysia

Paper 10 Nanofillers in latex condoms
Dr Abi Santhosh Aprem & Mrs Preethalekshmi, HLL Lifecare Ltd, India
Session 3: Nanotechnology in Latex and Synthetic Polymer Dispersions

Paper 11 Polymer latex nanocomposites: recent advances
Prof Dr Sabu Thomas & P Deepalekshmi, Mahatma Gandhi University, India

Paper 12 Nano-dispersions in latex technology
Siby Varghese, Rubber Research Institute of India, India
PAPER UNAVAILABLE AT TIME OF PRINT
Paper 13 Effect of nanoclay on the properties of natural rubber (NR) and carboxylated styrene butadiene
rubber (XSBR) latices: a comparison
Ranimol Stephen, St.Joseph’s College, & Sabu Thomas, Mahatma Gandhi University, India

Session 4: Gloves

Paper 14 World’s first surgical glove with antimicrobial coating on inside surface
Dr Eng Aik Hwee, Lim Kuang Leng, Tang Lok Si & David M Lucas, Ansell Shah Alam, Malaysia

Paper 15 Polyurethane dispersion gloves applications: functional and eco-friendly
Rolf Irnich, ASEAN, China & Geetha Arumugam, ASEAN, Singapore

Paper 16 A review of synthetic latices in surgical glove use
Wouter de Jong, Marianne Ros, Joris Smit & Bert Krutzer, Kraton Innovation Center Amsterdam, The
Netherlands

Session 5: Standards and Regulations

Paper 17 ISO 4074, the international standard for latex condoms, past, present and future
Dr William D Potter, Stapleford Scientific Service Ltd, UK

Paper 18 Regulatory requirements in the EU for latex products
Satish Champaneri, BSI, UK

Paper 19 Development of an ASTM standard for quantifying guayule proteins
Dr David Kostyal, Dr Katrina Cornish & Kelly Horton, Akron Rubber Development Laboratory Inc, USA
Latex 2012 13-14 March 2012 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
NATURAL RUBBER LATEX: THEN AND NOW

No Dock Moung
International Rubber Study Group
111 North Bridge Road, #23-06 Penisnsula Plaza, Singapore 179098, Singapore
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] email: [email protected]

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

No Dock Moung is a Senior Economist with the Secretariat of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG).
He had joined the Secretariat in 2000 and is the rubber latex specialist, speaking on the topic in Americas,
Asia and Europe. He is a graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University,
with MSc in Development Economics. The IRSG is the leading provider of economic and statistical
information on the world rubber industry.

ABSTRACT

Natural rubber latex (NRL) market is an important sub-set of the world rubber industry, accounting for over
12% of total natural rubber consumption in 2010. Concentrated on the dipping industry, especially the
disposable gloves industry, the consumption of NRL has been growing above the rate of the underlying
trend, increasing volume by 144% since 1988. This growth was accompanied by a shift in the geographical
location of consumption, moving to North and Southeast Asia from Western Europe and North America.
Asia now accounts for over 80% of total NRL consumption.

This relative success of the industry has attracted interests from the synthetic rubber world, centred on
demand from the disposable gloves industry, which have intensified in the last five years. There is now
around 500,000 tonnes (wet) of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber latex capacity in Southeast Asia, changing the
landscape for the NRL.

1 Introduction

This paper seeks to offer a panoramic review of the natural rubber latex (NRL) market. To this effect, it will
cover the followings:

 Macro information – background data on consumption and trade of NRL
 Micro information – NRL consumption by end-products
 Analysis of gloves sector
 Competition

2. Macro information – background data

Consumption

Since 1960 the total world NRL consumption has increased around eight folds to 1.3m tonnes in 2006 from a
mere 170,000 tonnes (Figure 1). Although led and dominated by Europe and the Americas in the early
years, but since the mid-1980s Asia has been the leading consumer, taking up 1.1m tonnes in 2010 (Figures
2-4). This is 84% of the total world NRL consumption.

Page 1 of 14 pages Paper 1 - Moung
13-14 March 2012 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Latex 2012
Figure 1: Total world NRL consumption, 1960-2010

1600
1400
1200
1000
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e
n
on 800
0 t
0
0 600
'
400
200
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

The critical juncture in the history of consumption of NRL is the mid-1980s. It was at this period that total
demand for NRL took-off, subsequently growing at near exponential rates, while also marking the point of
transition as the NRL industry shifted from the West to the East. The take-off was precipitated by the public
acknowledgement of a new health scare – AIDS.

The transition was a reflection of the comparative advantage at work, which in 2012 is a widely
acknowledged fact of business life. It was in 1988 that Asia first accounted for over 50% of total NRL
consumption. It is interesting to note that the NRL industry led the rest of the rubber industry in the transition
and by close to two decades. It was not until 2005 that Asia assumed majority consumption of total rubber
consumption.

Figure 2: NRL consumption by region, 1960-2010

Asia Europe Americas Africa/Middle East
1200
1000
800
s
e
n
on600
0 t
0
0
'400
200
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Paper 1 - Moung Page 2 of 14 pages
Latex 2012 13-14 March 2012 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Figure 3: NRL consumption share by region, 1980

Africa/Middle
East
2%
Asia
42%
Americas
18%
Europe
38%

Figure 4: NRL consumption share by region, 2010

Africa/Middle
East
0%
Americas
10%
Europe
6%
Asia
84%

Malaysia is the largest consuming country in the region and the world, although other countries, China in
particular, is fast catching up (Figures 5-6).

Page 3 of 14 pages Paper 1 - Moung
13-14 March 2012 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Latex 2012
Figure 5: NRL consumption by countries in Asia, 2010

Others
8%
India
7% Malaysia
35%
Indonesia
12%
Thailand
11%
China
27%

Figure 6: NRL consumption by countries in Asia, 1960-2010

Malaysia China Thailand
Indonesia India Others
450
400
350
300
s
ne250
n
o
0 t200
0
0
'150
100
50
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Exports

Exports of NRL are focused around countries in Southeast Asia with Thailand holding the mantle of the
largest exporter with 556,100 tonnes in 2010 (Figures 7-8). The crown was taken from Malaysia in the early
1990s, who is now a net importer of NRL. The only sizeable exporter outside Asia is Liberia, which shipped
37,300 tonnes in 2010.

The result of the faster rate of growth of consumption, mostly by producers, has led to the creation and rise
of consumption-export gap (Figure 9). The gap has been standing at over 680,000 tonnes over the past four
years, having risen from just below 100,000 tonnes in 1986.

Paper 1 - Moung Page 4 of 14 pages