Properties of peroxide cured highly purified natural rubber

Highly purified natural rubbers (HPNR) were prepared by saponification of fresh latex (FL-latex) in the presence of surfactant. It was found that nitrogen content markedly decreased from 0.86% to 0.1% after the process. Nitrosamine free vulcanized rubber could be prepared by peroxide curing system to give a same level of physical properties as those of deproteinized NR, STR 5L rubber and synthetic isoprene rubber (IR). The tensile strength obtained was about 12 MPa. The color after vulcanization was light-yellowish. Owing to the low protein allergens, nitrosamine free, and good physical properties, HPNR vulcanized by peroxide system is an attractive material for medical application.