Natural rubber, from the moment it is cut from a tree, is a“ Living creatures;. It is afraid of heat, dirt, storage, and you don't know when it will change its sex. To put it simply, the initial processing of this job is a race against time, turning barrels of inexplicable glue into standard raw materials that downstream factories dare to sign contracts to buy. Below, I will discuss from three perspectives what exactly the initial processing is causing.
1、 What are you busy with during the initial processing?
Many people think that initial processing is just drying and pressing the glue into blocks, but it's not that simple. Fresh latex looks like milk, but it is actually a rather delicate biological colloid. Rubber particles only make up a part of it, and the remaining water phase contains proteins, lipids, sugars, inorganic salts, and various invisible microorganisms. After you finish cutting the rubber, the natural protection provided by the tree will break. When the temperature rises, the road bumps, or on a rainy day mixed with rainwater, the rubber latex can be given to you in minutes; Turned over” — — Stability is said to be non-existent.
So our first priority in initial processing is to ensure that the raw materials are not completely processed yet; Smash it; Hurry up and tidy it up before. Specifically, there are several practical things that need to be done:
One is to ensure that the raw materials are not damaged during storage and transportation, and to prevent microbial fermentation, oxidation, and mixing with sediment and iron filings. The second is to clean, filter, and adjust the process to ensure that the final product meets the customer's quality requirements, and not exceed the standard of volatile fatty acid value just by testing. The third is to keep good batch records, which can be traced back to which farm, which day it was cut, and which production line it was made on, otherwise if there is a problem, even the pot cannot be thrown out. The fourth is to balance cost and environmental protection. We cannot burn electricity bills to death just for the sake of quality, and wastewater must also meet standards before it can be discharged.
2、 Latex and gel are very different
Fresh latex looks the same, but in fact, each batch has a different temperament. The dry rubber content definitely needs to be considered, but it is only a quantity concept. What truly determines whether your production line runs smoothly is its freshness, cleanliness, and stability. I have encountered several situations myself where the dry rubber content was quite high. However, once it passed through the centrifuge, the equipment got stuck tightly. Later, upon inspection, it was found that the shelf life was too long and micro clots had already formed in the latex. So, just looking at the data is not enough, it is necessary to make a comprehensive judgment based on the weather during the glue collection, transportation time, and whether there is any odor in the bucket.
As for gel raw materials, it is more complicated. Cup gel, micelles, recycled film leftovers, everything. Some have been stored for a month, and their surfaces have oxidized and turned yellow, with bark and sand still wrapped inside; Some of them are fresh gel recycled that day, which can be used after washing. Our experience here is that don't expect the shredder and sink in the later stage to cure all diseases,The key is to classify the materials properly when receiving them, and separate clean and dirty materialsSeparate the dirty and clean materials and handle them separately, otherwise if they mix together, the whole batch of materials will be ruined.
3、 Different products lead to different approaches
The most common products produced during initial processing are cigarette adhesive sheets, concentrated latex, and standard rubber (technical graded rubber). These three are not so much differences in form as they follow three completely different technological routes.
Tobacco gel tablets usually require fresh latex, which is solidified, compressed, and then hung in the tobacco room for smoking. That smoking room is not just about burning firewood casually. The temperature and humidity need to be monitored, and the smoke should not be too strong, otherwise the hanging film will turn black in color and smell pungent, and the customer will return it directly. Old technicians understand that managing a smoking room is the most tedious task, and they have to get up at night to watch the fire.
Concentrated latex is shipped in liquid form and the rubber concentration is increased to over 60% by centrifuge. This line emphasizes hygiene the most. If the pipeline equipment is not cleaned for a day, it will grow bacteria the next day, and the mechanical stability will immediately drop. And its indicators are particularly detailed. In addition to the solid content, it also needs to measure the volatile fatty acid value, viscosity, and clumping amount. If one is not correct, it cannot produce foaming or impregnating products downstream.
Standard glue is now the most mainstream direction, which is made into granules, dried, and compressed, and graded according to physical and chemical indicators. Its advantage is that the standards are clear and both buyers and sellers recognize it. But to be honest, standard glue also has its flaws; — Some batches have all the indicators qualified, but when customers go to the mixing machine for a dozen, they eat the powder slowly and the dispensing temperature is too high, which is what we often say; The processing performance is unstable;. So in the past two years, high-end customers such as aviation tires and high-speed rail shock absorbers are no longer satisfied with universal standards. They have additional requirements for cleanliness, fatigue life, and batch consistency. In order to take on such orders, our factory has reorganized the raw material traceability system. From the rubber plantation to the finished product packaging, samples are kept at every stage. If customers want to check, the data can be retrieved immediately. Otherwise, we would have to rely solely on verbal communication; I can make special adhesive; No one believes it.
