Natural rubber expertise
Last update: 19 September 2023
Our core expertise is the study of the determinants of the quality of natural rubber. The biological origin of natural rubber gives it unequalled characteristics but more variable than those of its synthetic competitors. This variability is, in particular, linked to very diverse production conditions. The standard quality criteria, defined for most of them in the 1960s, are no longer sufficient to predict behaviour during the second transformation (mixing, shaping, vulcanization) which is increasingly automated and therefore less tolerant to variability. The main scientific objective of our activities is therefore to better understand this variability and to identify more relevant new predictive criteria. This new knowledge will also make it possible to target new treatments (physical, thermal and/or (bio)chemical-biological processes) to reduce the variability of natural rubber quality. Depending on the needs we can offer services of service analysis, technical expertise, training but also collaborative research projects.
Last update: 19 September 2023
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These services concern the physico-chemical and biochemical characterization of natural rubber for a better understanding of the variability and the elaboration of its quality. Our expertise is based on a platform that brings together a large number of conventional analytical equipment for standard analyses (ISO2000 and SMR standards). It is accredited by the International Rubber Association. It also relies on high-tech tools for characterizing the structure (SEC-MALS chromatography, IR-TF in ATR mode, etc...) and composition in non-isoprene compounds of latex and natural rubber (mainly lipids, proteins and minerals). -
Services for training, technical expertise and set-up of collaborative project
These services are backed by experts who regularly visit rubber tree fields (plantations and factories) to conduct experiments in partnership.