ABSTRACT
Concentrated natural rubber latex industry has faced large amount of waste water containing small amount of fine natural rubber latex particles spinned out from the production. By acid coagulation, this light latex becomes skim rubber. The waste water is more acidic and still has high total solid content, BOD, and COD. Then the pilot plant for small rubber particles removal by modified clay, Dehyquart A-CA, Quaternium-18, Varisoft-PATC and Dehyquart F-75, was developed for the improvement of quality of wastewater. The process of pilot plant consists of mixer, sedimentation tank, main pump, and continuous adsorption operation. There is the development of a new coagulating agent which is “nanomaterial” to capture fine rubber particles and turn the coagulated skim rubber nanocomposite to “rubber nanocomposite masterbatch” as a valuable product for rubber and plastic industries. The quality of wastewater was improved because of the large reduction of BOD and COD from more than hundred thousands to few ten thousands or less. Thus, wastewater from rubber latex industries becomes less burdensome, easier to treat, and more environment friendly, resulting in manufacture of skim NR-organoclay nanocomposites and cost reduction of waste water treatment.
