Natural Rubber Powder Production from Latex

• Main Author: Rizki Winartha - Nim: 13013019 , Nanda
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/29533
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Products made from natural rubber is widely used in life. There are three upstream processed natural rubber, the crumb rubber, conventional rubber, and concentrated latex. Latex can be easily damaged due to clots. In addition, the concentrated latex containing 35-40% w/w of water so that the packaging volume is relatively large and inefficient in transportation. Latex also contains ammonia as an anti-coagulant material so that the packaging must be specialized so as not to leak and cause a bad odor. This research aims to create a pilot plant based of the latex spray drying simulation results, conduct performance tests, evaluating the results of performance tests, as well as making improvements to the production of rubber powder can work well. <br /> <br /> <br /> Stages of this research is data collection of spray dryer design, verification design, construction of spray dryer, performance testing of spray dryer, and rubber powder characterization. The heating system is used in a spray dryer using a combustion gas. Testing of the spray dryer apparatus is done by varying the drying air temperature of 120oC, 150oC and 180oC and also varying the water content of the feed latex 70% and 80% w/w and also non-sticky additive talc and MgO powder. The water content of rubber powder characterized by digital moisturemeter and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). <br /> <br /> <br /> The results showed that the optimum condition for producing natural rubber powder was 150oC and 80% w/w latex feed water content. The natural rubber powder produced contains 10-13% w/w but still sticky. FTIR spectrum analysis of natural rubber powder shows the suitability of the bonding group in the polyisoprene natural rubber compound. Natural rubber powder can also be used as a substitute for crumb rubber.