The Estimation of Small Percentages of Rubber in Fibrous Materials
Abstract Rubber is being used in increasing quantity in fibrous materials of all types as a binder or to impart particular and special properties. The percentage of rubber employed varies from 3 to 15 or 20 per cent, and it is becoming of interest and importance to, have analytical methods to estimate with some degree of accuracy the percentage present. This estimation has several difficulties, and no one method can be adopted on account of the difference in behavior of various fibres. The fibre may consist of protein, such as silk, wool and other animal fibre, leather, or cellulose, such as jute, cotton, rayon, paper, kapok, etc. The rubber may be vulcanized or unvulcanized, and partly or completely in the oxidized state. In addition, there may be organic material, such as protein, soap (added as stabilizer for the latex), fats, oils, waxes, dyestuffs and inorganic substances from the fibre, fillers and pigments, coagulants, and so forth—to name only a few possible compositions. The problem appears complex, but may be simplified in some cases by knowing, from the process of manufacture, the definite absence or presence of certain of these likely ingredients.