QUICK METHOD TO DRY ‘SHEET RUBBER’

Dec. 23, 2021

The Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) has developed a method to dry sheet rubber in 24 hours in place of the traditional method that takes four to five days.

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The conversion of raw latex into sheet rubber helps rubber farmers store the produce and sell according to the market situation as price fluctuation is a constant phenomenon.
However, the traditional method of drying sheet rubber takes four to five days. The processing involves coagulation, sheeting and drying.
The much quicker method of drying is done by replacing the conventional coagulant — diluted formic acid — with a mixture of the acid and alcohol and an improved sheeting process.
In the new process, coagulation takes only about 30 minutes and the drying can be faster after loading the wet coagula in the smokehouse. Quick drying is achieved by increasing the effective surface area through additional rolling.

Source : The Hindu