Composite natural rubber-polychloroprene latex particles produced by the heterocoagulation technique

Composite natural rubber (NR) based latex particles were prepared using the heterocoagulation technique. A nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) whose molecules bear poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was adsorbed on polychloroprene (CR) latex particles and allowed to form complexes between PEO and indigenous surfactant (protein-lipid) on the NR particle surface. The heterocoagulated NR/CR-Tween particles produced were characterised by particle size, zeta-potential and glass-transition temperature measurements and the data indicated the presence of CR-Tween on the outer layer of the composite polymer particles. The results agreed well with the better oil resistance of films cast from heterocoagulated latex when compared with that of the NR film.