Synthetic rubber latex compositions with ionic liquid for elastomeric gloves

Abstract

Provided are compositions and associated methods for producing elastomeric rubber gloves with improved strength and flexibility at desirable glove palm thicknesses. An example elastomeric rubber glove comprises a substrate formed from a composition comprising a synthetic rubber latex, and an ionic liquid. The ionic liquid may comprise a combination of one or more alkyl imidazole ionic salts. The composition may comprise one or more metal oxides, including at least one of zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, cadmium oxide, and aluminum oxide. The synthetic rubber latex compositions were found to yield a material with strength and flexibility characteristics comparable to natural latex gloves of a greater thickness. The described gloves may also be cured without the addition of Sulphur and other vulcanization or rubber accelerators, further reducing the risk of allergies and costs of production.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.