Soot produced from rubber tree wood combustion during the process of drying natural rubber sheets has been shown to produce negative health effects for workers, as well as poorer quality rubber sheets. This study examined ways to improve soot particle separation equipment for rubber smoking chambers. An impaction wall was able to catch all soot particles ranging in size from 3.3-4.7 microns and a modified electrostatic precipitator, installed outside of the rubber smoking chamber in order to decrease danger to workers and with the highest available voltage supply of 12 kV, captured soot particles 0.43-3.3 microns in size. This modified precipitator operated longer than the usual time 120 hours or more before requiring cleaning; equivalent to smoking about 12 lots of rubber sheets or operating for 3 months during high rubber production season. The total efficiency of soot particle separation through the use of the modified collection equipment was more than 50% for all tests. In addition, the color index of rubber sheets used in the testing improved from 6.0 to 12.0. Coloration, which is a measure of quality, was better than sheets from smoking chamber lacking soot particle separation equipment.

The coagulating properties of wood vinegar from para rubber wood, bamboo, and coconut shell used as a substitute for acetic acid in the production process of natural rubber (NR) sheets were investigated and considered. For the dirt and volatile content, the tensile strength at break, the percentage of elongation at break, and the 300% modulus, the results showed that the types of wood vinegar coagulants were not significantly different from acetic acid. However, the Mooney viscosity and plasticity retention index (PRI) properties were significantly different from those of acetic acid. The NR sheet temperature increased rapidly during the first hour after the drying process started due to heat transfer from the hot air. Afterward, the temperature of the NR sheet samples began to stabilize. When the drying process started, the drying temperature was increased, so the trend was reducing the drying time. For the yellowness index (YI) value, the increase in the YI value was related to the type of coagulating material, the increase in the airspeed, and the drying temperature. The dried sheet samples using para rubber wood vinegar as the coagulating material had a color value at the same level as acetic acid and the referent. However, the bamboo and coconut shell wood vinegars were at a lower level. In comparing the YI value data between the experimental results and prediction values, the second-degree model had a better fit in prediction than the zero-degree and first-degree models. This result was confirmed by the higher mean of the coefficient of determination. The dried sheet product coagulated by using wood vinegar had fungus growth prior to supplying it to the customer.

The size distribution and total particle mass concentration (TPMC) of smoke particles from para rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis) combustion in the ribbed smoked sheet (RSS) process were studied. In this experiment, temperature data values of para rubber wood combustion were recorded at 500 mm above the base of the fire by K-type thermocouples. The wood moisture content and wood combustion period were used to find and improve an equation of smoke particle size distribution (SPSD) and TPMC by the response surface method (RSM). An eight-stage Andersen air sampler and a high-volume sampler were used to measure and calculate SPSD and TPMC, respectively. Resulting data in this experiment showed that TPMC ranged from 3.12 to 77.42 mg/m3. SPSD was single mode in which MMAD, mass median aerodynamic diameter, ranged from 0.64 to 1.27 microns for para wood with moisture content ranging from 31.5 to 89.7% dry weight basis. The combustion period and moisture content of para wood have a direct effect on the change of temperature data above the base of the fire and the TPMC and MMAD values. For predicting TPMC and MMAD values by the para wood moisture contents in each combustion period, the results found that the second-degree model was a better plot than the first-degree model, confirmed by higher values of the coefficient of determination (R2).

Natural rubber (NR) is obtained principally from Para-rubber trees of the species Hevea brasiliensis which grow in tropical regions. Using ultra-centrifugation method, fresh latex (FL) from Para-rubber trees can be mainly divided into four fractions; an upper white layer consists of rubber particles, Frey-Wyssling particles in a yellow or an orange layer, C-serum phase and lutiods particles in the bottom fraction [1-3]. The averages of rubber particles have diameters of 0.02 to 3.0 micron, and they are protected by a complex film containing lipids and proteins [4-8]. The main forces of attraction between neighboring rubber particles in latex system can be divided into five force types; Structural Forces (SF), Van der Waals Interaction (VWI), Electrostatic Force (EF), Exclusion Interaction (EI) and Polymer-Polymer Interaction (PPI) [9]. The porous model of rubber structure used to describe moisture transfer was based on the existence of two different regions referred to as non-hygroscopic region and hygroscopic region. The rubber products drying always produced a considerable shrinkage effect which considered in the physical of the product, such as the diffusion coefficient, mass and heat transfer. An initial moisture content of raw material, the experimental temperature and the drying equipment had affect to the EMC isotherms and the drying kinetics. Finally, discussions on the implications of the results for strategies to reduce the energy consumption in RSS and STR20 block rubber are also presented.

The size distribution, total particle mass concentration (TPMC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) value, and total Benzo[a]pyrene Toxic Equivalence (BaPTE) concentration of smoke particles from palm oil sewage sludge (POSS) bio-char combustion were studied. In this experiment, temperature data of the POSS bio-char combustion were recorded in two parts: particle temperature (Tp) by using a two-color pyrometer and temperature at 300, 500 and 800 mm, respectively, above the fire base by using K-type thermocouples. The POSS bio-char moisture content, clean air speed values, and burning period affected the change of temperature above the fire base. The mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) values of the POSS bio-char combustion were found to be 0.44 to 1.05 micron at various moisture contents and burning periods. The MMAD, TPMC, and PAHs values increased with increasing moisture content and decreased the POSS bio-char combustion period. For the total BaPTE values, the results showed that the decrease in moisture content of the POSS bio-char samples had a prime influence in decreasing the total BaPTE values. Meanwhile, with decreases in the clean air speed values, the total BaPTE values were increased. Comparing the total BaPTE data between the experimental results and predicted values, the first-degree model had a better fit in predicting than the zero-degree model; this result was confirmed by the higher mean of the coefficient of determination.