UV-Vernetzung von Naturkautschuk und carboxyliertem Nitril-Butadien-Kautschuk Latex: Eine neue Technologie zur Herstellung von allergiefreien medizinischen Handschuhen

Translated title of the contribution: UV-crosslinking of latices of natural rubber and carboxylated nitrile-butadiene rubber: a new technology to produce medical gloves

Dietmar Lenko

Research output: ThesisMaster's Thesis

Abstract

The increasing application of latex products in the health care sector has been paralleled by an increasing emergence of latex allergies which have become a serious operational health problem, especially among surgeons, operating room personnel and health care workers. Latex allergies are caused by proteins (Type I allergies) of the natural rubber latex and by processing chemicals (Type IV contact allergies) such as activators and accelerators which are used in conventional sulfur vulcanisation. In this work a new pre-vulcanisation process for XNBR latex has been developed which is based upon a UV induced cross-linking of the latex emulsion. The new process makes the manufacture of medical gloves (examination and surgical gloves) feasible without using any sensitising or hazardous processing agents. In the UV cross-linking, a selected photoinitiator and a poly-functional thiol are added to the XNBR latex. Free radicals (bond cleavage of the photoinitiator) are generated due to UV irradiation and cross-linking of the latex particles is then accomplished by a thiol-ene addition reaction. To achieve the vulcanization of XNBR latex the UV process is carried out in a falling film photoreactor. Solid latex films are then produced by conventional dipping of the UV cross linked latex. In the second part of this work the UV cross linking of natural rubber latex, which has already been established in previous works, has been optimised on a technical scale. The new technology allows the manufacture of surgical NR latex gloves with excellent mechanical properties together with high ageing stabilities and good skin compatibilities.
Translated title of the contributionUV-crosslinking of latices of natural rubber and carboxylated nitrile-butadiene rubber: a new technology to produce medical gloves
Original languageGerman
QualificationDipl.-Ing.
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Kern, Wolfgang, Supervisor (internal)
  • Schlögl, Sandra, Co-Supervisor (external)
Award date18 Dec 2009
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

embargoed until null

Keywords

  • NR XNBR natural rubber carboxylated nitrilebutadienrubber dipped goods

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