Rubber irradiation process can stretch to many other industries

Now coming up to two years' successful operation, the world's first continuous processing plant for the irradiation vulcanisation of natural rubber latex is attracting interest from other parts of the process industries looking for ways of applying irradiation to other pumpable liquids.

Designed and built by Puridec Irradiation Technologies and its partner Nukem Nuclear, the latex irradiation pilot plant is operated by the Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology. Using a cobolt 60 source, radiation vulcanisation hardens the rubber by radiation-induced cross-linking, as opposed to traditional methods using sulphur compounds.. The process requires no sulphur or accelerators, and the latex product has improved stability, reduced stiffness and better colour.

Puridec says that the success of the process for latex opens up possibilities in other polymerisation processes where irradiation can be an alternative to chemical initiation of cross-linking; for example, the solution chlorination of PVC.

Nukem is currently developing a modular matrix system to handle larger volumes of liquid, while Puridec is prepared to discuss potential applications.