Prevalence of natural rubber latex allergy (Type I and Type IV) in laboratory workers in The Netherlands

Graphene is a new type of carbon material with excellent performance. It not only has good electrical, mechanical and thermal properties, but also can be used as a filler of natural latex materials to optimize the thermal conductivity of natural latex materials. Therefore, graphene is widely used in aviation, automobile, machinery and other fields. In order to study the influence of the coordination ratio of graphene and rubber materials on the thermal conductivity, the natural rubber latex was first diluted and dissolved with volatile organic solvent toluene; then 0g, 0.5g, 1g, 1.5g, 2g, and graphene were respectively mixed into 20g natural rubber latex to prepare 6 thin samples (type I, type II, type III, type IV, type V, type VI). Finally, the thermal conductivity of 6 samples was measured by fla laser thermal conductivity instrument. The results showed that with the increase of graphene dosage, the thermal conductivity of natural rubber latex sheet increased significantly; when the ratio of graphene dosage to natural rubber latex was about 1:10, the rate of improving thermal conductivity of natural rubber latex decreased.

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Production and Properties of Yulex® - The Natural Solution to Latex Allergy

Rubber Chemistry and Technology ◽

10.5254/1.3548227 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 81 (4) ◽

pp. 709-722 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Katrina Cornish ◽

Jali Williams ◽

Julie L. Hall ◽

Raymond G. McCoy

Keyword(s):

Natural Rubber ◽

Hevea Brasiliensis ◽

High Performance ◽

Natural Rubber Latex ◽

Raw Material ◽

Latex Allergy ◽

Type I ◽

Rubber Latex ◽

Safe Alternative ◽

And Performance

Abstract Natural rubber is an irreplaceable raw material vital to industry, transportation, medicine and defense, largely produced from clonal plantations of Hevea brasiliensis in Southeast Asia. Additional rubber-producing crops are greatly desired to increase biodiversity, protect supplies, and provide a safe alternative for people suffering from Type I latex protein allergy. Basic and applied research approaches were used to make the production of latex (Yulex® latex) from Parthenium argentatum (guayule) a commercial reality. In contrast to Hevea brasiliensis, from which rubber latex is tapped by hand from laticifers, guayule latex rubber is contained within individual bark parenchyma cells. Processing involves disrupting these cells to release the rubber particles, and then purifying the latex. As in the Hevea industry, latex concentration can be achieved by centrifugation and/or by creaming agents. An artificially produced guayule natural rubber latex is then produced, under the material name of “Yulex® latex”. The Yulex Pilot Plant has been constructed, optimized and automated, and extracts then purifies latex from guayule shrub without detectable losses. The natural rubber polymers in guayule latex are high molecular weight and products made from this material have the desired high performance properties. Because guayule latex contains very little protein, all of which is hydrophobic and bound to the rubber phase, and because none of the protein cross-reacts with Type I latex allergy to Hevea latex products, its use is initially aimed towards the high-value medical products marketplace. Clinical and performance trials continue to ensure that guayule processing provides a safe, high performance, non-allergenic natural rubber latex that is safe for human use.

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