17
Latex-dipping processes
17.1 INTRODUCTION
In its simplest form, latex dipping is a process in which thin-walled polymer
(usually rubber) products are produced by first immersing a former in a latex
which has been suitably compounded, and then subsequently slowly withdrawing
the former from the latex in such a way as to leave a uniform deposit upon
the former. The thickness of the deposit can be increased if desired by
repetition of the process. The formation of the product is completed by
leaching, drying and, if necessary, subjecting it to appropriate treatments, of
which the most obvious is vulcanization. The product may also be subjected
to appropriate post-treatments. In many cases, it is the practice to form a
rolled bead at the open end(s) of the article. The purpose of the bead is
principally to reinforce the thin film against tear-initiation from the edge of
the open end. It also prevents very thin-walled articles from adopting various
distorted configurations. The product is usually removed from the former
before use. Products manufactured as has been described are said to be
unsupported because such strength as the product possesses is attributable
entirely to the polymer itself. Latex dipping is also used to manufacture
so-called supported products, in which the strength of the product is primarily
derived from a fabric lining upon which the polymer film is deposited. Such
products are produced by first placing the liner upon the former, and then
applying the polymer film by a latex-dipping process.
Thus the latex-dipping process in its simplest form involves the formation
of a polymer deposit around the outside of a former. The outside contours
of the deposit are usually a somewhat blurred variant of the contours of the
surface of the former. If especially sharp replication of the former surface is
required, then it is necessary to turn the deposit inside-out after drying and
removal from the former. Especially is this necessary if it is desired to emboss
any features upon the outside surface of the product by way of corresponding
embossings on the surface of the former. The shape of supported products
produced by latex dipping is determined principally by the shape of the
supporting liner.
D. C. Blackley, Polymer Latices
© Chapman & Hall 1997
156 Latex-dipping processes
Latex-dipping processes were developed in the period between the end of
World War I and the commencement of World War II for the manufacture
of thin-walled rubber products. The appearance on the market of adequately-
preserved natural rubber latex concentrates of uniform high quality was an
important factor in promoting the development of the process. Prior to the
advent of latex dipping, thin-walled rubber products were produced by
dipping using rubber solutions. The molecular mass of the rubber was first
reduced by mechanical working and heating (mastication). The rubber was
then dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, such as naphtha. After dipping,
the film of rubber solution on the former was dried by evaporation.
Vulcanization was effected either by exposure to sulphur monochloride (e.g.
by immersion in a dilute solution in a solvent such as carbon disulphide),
or by heating with sulphur. In the latter case, the dipping solution contained
sulphur and organic accelerators in addition to rubber.
An early British patent on the subject of latex dipping is that of Jaques
[1]. This covers the manufacture of rubber articles, such as gloves, by
immersing appropriate formers into ammonia-preserved natural rubber latex
and then removing them. After each dip, the film is to be dried in a current
of dry air, preferably heated. Vulcanization is by the then-usual process of
immersion in a dilute solution of sulphur monochloride. An important
subsequent modification was replacement of the cold-vulcanization process
by one utilizing reaction with sulphur at elevated temperature. This modification,
of course, necessitated the incorporation of appropriate vulcanizing agents
in the latex prior to dipping.
Most latex-dipping processes are carried out using natural rubber latex.
Some synthetic latices are used for products where special properties are
required, such as resistance to swelling in hydrocarbon oils and greases, and
enhanced chemical resistance. Attempts have been made in the past to use
artificial latices for the production of latex-dipped products which have the
special properties conferred by polymers available as latices of this type only.
These attempts have been largely thwarted by the difficulties inherent in
processing artificial latices. Amongst the many products which are, or have
been, made by latex dipping are rubber gloves of various types, condoms,
balloons of various types, babies' feeder teats and soothers, seamless footwear,
seamless football bladders, and medical devices such as catheters. All these
products are inherently thin-walled. Some are very thin indeed; the wall
thickness can be as low as ca. 0.05 mm. Some of these products have also
been made by dipping processes using rubber solutions. A preference has
been expressed in the past for solution-dipped surgeons' gloves as compared
with latex-dipped gloves. The basis of this preference seems to have been
two-fold: solution-dipped gloves tend to have lower elastic modulus than do latex-
dipped gloves, and therefore are less tiring on the hands; and there has been
a suspicion at times that the residual non-rubber substances in latex films
(in particular, proteinaceous substances) may be capable of supporting
