Nonrubber components (NRCs) play an important role in the outstanding mechanical property of natural rubber (NR). The main inositol component of NRCs in natural rubber latex (NRL) is l -quebrachitol. In this study, the influence of l -quebrachitol on the properties of centrifuged natural rubber (CNR) was investigated. The NRL was centrifuged twice to remove most of the NRCs. After that, l -quebrachitol was added in the latex with per hundreds of rubber (phr) vary from 0% to 0.8%, and the vulcanized CNR were prepared. It is shown that the properties of vulcanized CNR were greatly changed, with T ₉₀ reduced from 19 to 15 min, the tensile strength increased from 5 to 9 MPa, T _g reduced by about 2°C, and the ability for strain-induced crystallization was enhanced. It was proved by FTIR results that l -quebrachitol was linked to the CNR crosslinking network with ester bond.

This study details microwave-absorbing materials made of natural rubber/nitrile butadiene rubber (NR/NBR) blends with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). The mechanical blending method and the influences of fabrication on the morphology and microwave-absorbing performance of resulting compounds were logically investigated. It was found that interfacial differences between the fillers and matrix promote the formation of MWCNTs and MoS₂ networks in NR/NBR blends, thus improving microwave-absorbing performance. Compared with direct compounding, masterbatch-based two-step blending is more conducive to forming interpenetrating networks of MWCNTs/MoS₂, endowing the resulting composite with better microwave attenuation capacity. Composites with MWCNTs in NR and MoS₂ in NBR demonstrate the best microwave-absorbing performance, with a minimum reflection loss of −44.54 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.60 GHz. Exploring the relationship between morphology and electromagnetic loss behavior denotes that such improvement results from the selective distribution of dual fillers, inducing networking and multi-component-derived interfacial polarization enhancement.

Natural rubber (NR) is in high demand due to its excellent elasticity and physical and mechanical properties, but production is limited and NR is in short supply. There is an urgent need to find new alternative rubber sources. Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS), as a green, renewable, widely planted and high content rubber producing plant, has shown broad application prospects. The extraction process is the key to developing efficient, green, and high-purity Taraxacum kok-saghyz Natural Rubber (TKNR) to replace NR in various applications. In this study, TKS roots were processed through repeated boiling to remove inulin, followed by alkaline treatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to isolate lignin and facilitate cell wall disruption. Subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis using pectinase and cellulase enabled the dissolution of root-structure carbohydrates, thereby obtained TKNR. Structural characterization of TKNR was conducted and compared with that of NR. The results showed that the combined alkaline and enzymatic extraction methodology effectively isolates TKNR from TKS roots. Structural analysis reveals that TKNR closely resembles NR, having comparable molecular weight and distribution, crystallinity, and crosslinking networks, with both polymers primarily consisting of cis-1,4-polyisoprene.

Designing versatile rubber as a multifunctional elastomer is of great importance, incorporating it with biomass-derived nanoblocks will mitigate environmental challenges. Here biosynthesized natural rubber (NR) composites with CoFe ₂ O ₄ -immobilized biomass carbon (BC) derived from macadamia nutshells were fabricated by facile mechanical mixing. Morphological analysis indicates that CoFe ₂ O ₄ nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on the surface of BC, forming intact electromagnetic loss networks in NR matrix. As a consequence, the as-fabricated NR/CoFe ₂ O ₄ @BC composites demonstrate enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electromagnetic performance. Particularly, NR/CoFe ₂ O ₄ @BC composite shows the best microwave attenuation capacity when CoFe ₂ O ₄ @BC loading is 40 phr, with the minimum reflection loss (RL) of −35.00 dB and effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) of 1.60 GHz. All results indicate that this work open new paradigm for multiple applications based on biosynthetic elastomer with the sustainable biomass derived nanoblocks.

This article explores the positive impact of a homemade polyurethane block copolymer (PDMS-PU) compatibilizer on silicone rubber/polyurethane (VSR/TPU) systems. A novel method for preparing silicone thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPSiV) materials is introduced, using a hydrogenated silicone oil/platinum (Si–H/Pt) catalytic vulcanization system. This involves high-temperature premixing of VSR, Si–H, and TPU, followed by adding diallyl maleate (DAM) inhibitor and Pt catalyst during the cold roller stage. This method prevents premature cross-linking and ensures thorough mixing and interaction between VSR and TPU. The TPSiV material produced demonstrates high tensile strength (TS, 6.5 MPa), exceptional elongation at break (EB, 500%), good shape stability, stable viscosity under high temperature and shear conditions, excellent low-temperature resistance, and superior damping properties. This innovative preparation method offers significant insights and practical guidance for developing high-performance thermoplastic vulcanizates.