PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN ARTIFICIAL LATEX
A process for the preparation of an aqueous rubber emulsion (artificial latex), comprising the steps: (a) size reduction of the rubber, whereby granules are produces with shorter dissolving time; (b) cement formation, wherein the granules of step (a) are dissolved in a suitable hydrocarbon solvent; (c) preparation of an aqueous soap solution; (d) emulsification of the cement formed in step (b), using the aqueous soap solution prepared in step (c), thus forming an oil in water emulsion; (e) hydrocarbon solvent removal, resulting in an aqueous emulsion of the rubber, and optionally (f) emulsion concentration, forming an artificial latex with a higher solids content, wherein in step (a) the size reduction is carried out using a chopper and/or granulator characterized in that a soap is used as processing aid, preferably identical to the soap used in steps (c) and (d).
1 . A process for the preparation of an aqueous rubber emulsion (artificial latex), comprising the steps:
(a) reducing the size of the rubber, whereby granules of rubber are produced;
(b) dissolving said granules of rubber in a suitable hydrocarbon solvent; thus forming cement;
(c) preparing an aqueous soap solution;
(d) emulsifying the cement formed in step (b), with the aqueous soap solution prepared in step (c), thus forming an oil in water emulsion;
(e) removing said hydrocarbon solvent, resulting in an aqueous emulsion of the rubber,
wherein in step (a) the size reduction is carried out using a chopper and/or granulator characterized in that a soap is used as a processing aid,
2 . A process for the preparation of an artificial latex as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the soap used as processing aid is identical to the soap used in steps (c) and (d).
3 . A process for the preparation of an artificial latex as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rubber is isoprene rubber and the soap is a rosin type soap.
4 . The process of claim 1 , further including the step of concentrating the emulsion of step (e), thus forming an artificial latex with a higher solids content.